


there is truth in the space between

by cloudghost



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Texting the Wrong Number, F/F, this has probably been done 1000x before but here's my contribution that no one asked for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-09-17 03:54:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 41,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16967181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloudghost/pseuds/cloudghost
Summary: (10:41) Am I right?(10:42) No.(10:43) Is that all I get?(10:46) Yes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, I tried out different ways of formatting the texts (I wanted to put the timestamp at the end of the message but somehow that just made it harder to read?? and putting the timestamp above or below just made it confusing to figure out which message it's referring to) and I think this is the most readable way? but if you have any suggestions for improvement please tell me
> 
> they capitalise and stuff because I think it's easier to read? also is fighting autocorrect even really worth it
> 
> Korra's messages: regular  
> Asami's: **bold ******

March 2nd

(17:41) Hey, this is Korra, sorry it took me so long to text you!! I’ve had one class after another all day

(17:42) Any ideas for the group project yet?

(17:42) I was thinking we could maybe just stage a debate or something

**(17:45) I don’t think I am who you think I am.**

(17:45) Okay…?

**(17:48) You’ve probably got the wrong number.**

(17:51) Ohhh, damn, I thought that 1 kind of looked like a 7

(17:51) That’s what happens when you don’t line them I guess

(17:52) Sorry about this! Have a nice day

**(17:52) Wait!!!**

**(17:53) Could you maybe keep texting me for the next couple of minutes? Keyboard smashes or whatever. I need an excuse to leave.**

(17:55) Errr… sure

(17:55) Bad date?

**(17:57) Thank you!!!!!**

**(17:57) Worse: dinner with my father.**

(18:00) Doesn’t sound that bad to me

**(18:03) You’ve never met my father. Or me, for that matter.**

**(18:04) Trust me, it’s worse.**

(18:07) Okay, this is really weird

(18:07) I have no idea who you are?

(18:07) I mean, you might be a serial killer or something for all I know

(18:07) I feel uncomfortable

(18:08) So I’m gonna stop messaging you now

(18:08) Hope it all works out!

**(18:20) Sorry, I really didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable. You seem like a very good person to do a complete stranger a favour like that and I really appreciate it. Thanks to you, I could escape a dinner in which I was both constantly compared to my dead mother and also criticised for all the ways in which he thinks I don’t live up to her. So, thank you, and sorry again.**

(18:31) That’s… rough

(18:31) Also a lot to pack into one text

(18:32) I’m pretty sure that’s the longest one I’ve ever received

(18:35) Anyway, I know you’re probably not a creep, and I’m the one who accidentally initiated this whole thing, so

(18:36) It’s fine

(18:36) Don’t worry about it

**(19:04) Thank you. Have a good night.**

 

March 3rd

(10:15) Are you okay?

**(10:22) I think you’ve got the wrong number again.**

(10:23) Not this time

**(10:25) ?**

(10:27) Okay, this might sound weird

(10:27) But I’ve been thinking about what you said yesterday

(10:28) And I couldn’t help but wonder if you’re okay

(10:29) Good to know you’re still alive and all that

**(10:33) I am. Thank you for your concern.**

(10:35) Are you a butler?

**(10:38) …What?**

(10:40) Just trying to understand why you’re so formal all the time

(10:41) That was the first cliché that popped into my head

(10:41) Am I right?

**(10:42) No.**

(10:43) Is that all I get?

**(10:46) Yes.**

(10:47) Aw, come on, I’m just trying to even the playing field

(10:47) You know my name and that I’m a student, after all

**(10:51) You know that my mother is dead and that I have a complicated relationship with my father. I’d say we’re even.**

**(10:52) And wasn’t it you who said I might be a serial killer? Why on earth are you still messaging me? That’s worrying. For future reference: You should stay AWAY from people you think might be dangerous.**

(10:55) Alright, fine, I’m bored

(10:55) No need to be rude

(10:55) And I did wonder about you

**(10:57) Who’s this?**

(10:58) Errr… Still Korra

**(10:58) 6r9dgkjtwjkfttgURRuihawt2tekstuaet6urta**

(10:59) Oookay

(10:59) Not weird at all

**(11:01) Sorry, that was one of my professors. He grabbed my phone and I had to fight him to get it back.**

(11:05) Aha! Professor! You’re a student too

(11:05) Also, wtf??

**(11:08) I’m usually never on my phone and he’s extremely nosy.**

(11:09) You’re never on your phone?

(11:09) Are you a time traveller?

**(11:11) I repeat: …What?**

(11:12) It would explain why you’re not used to phones

**(11:14) It’s not that I’m not used to them, I just don’t really have many contacts.**

(11:15) That’s… sad

(11:15) But it explains why you had to ask me for help last night

(11:15) Can I ask why?

(11:16) Are you a loner or just generally off-putting?

**(11:17) Charming.**

(11:17) I try

(11:42) It was a dumb thing to say I’m sorry

(11:42) I thought I was being witty but reading it now I realise I was just kind of being an ass

(11:43) I’m sorry

(11:45) Come back?

**(11:55) Why do you even want to talk to me anymore? We have nothing to say to each other. You texted the wrong number and I asked you for a favour which you graciously granted me and that’s it. The end.**

(11:58) “Graciously”

(11:58) I like that

(11:59) Okay, so you know when you see a stranger in passing and there’s something about them that kind of intrigues you?

(12:00) And then they’re gone and the fact that you’re never going to get to know anything about them is just a little bit painful?

(12:01) I’d like to get to know you

(12:01) And I’d like to keep talking to you because I enjoy it

(12:01) But if you don’t that’s totally fine

(12:02) Say the word and I’ll never message you again

**(13:31) My name is Asami.**

(13:35) [Screenshot]

**(13:46) You saved me in your contacts?**

(13:46) Yeah

**(13:52) So this is a thing now?**

(13:58) Yeah

**(14:04) Okay.**

**(14:04) [Screenshot]**

(14:06) Aww, we’re contact buddies

(14:06) Okay, that sounded way weirder than I intended

(14:06) Also

(14:07) Since we’re basically friends now, I feel like it’s my right to tell you this

**(14:07) I don’t like the sound of that.**

(14:07) You’ve got to stop it with the full stops at the end

(14:07) Seriously

(14:07) They make you sound like you’re either

(14:08) a) angry at me/annoyed at all times

(14:08) or b) like you’ve never once laughed in your entire life and have a stick up your butt

**(14:32) Wow. I didn’t know proper punctuation could say so much about a person.**

(14:33) You don’t deny it?

**(14:38) That I’m constantly annoyed? Or that I have a stick up my butt? If the latter were true, I’d be texting you as a ghost right now, because I don’t think it’s realistically possible to survive that for an extended period of time.**

(14:41) I can’t believe you brought realism into it just to ignore my point

(14:42) I’m offended

**(14:44) Is this better**

(14:47) It is!!

(14:47) You can use question marks, etc.

(14:47) (And actually split your messages into more than one text at a time btw)

**(14:48) Thank you for your permission.**

(14:48) It’s just that full stops at the end of texts seem so serious

**(14:50) Okay, fine**

(14:50) Yay!!!

**(14:50) Then I feel like it’s my right to tell you this:**

(14:50) Uh-oh

**(14:51) The number of unread notifications visible in that screenshot is truly frightening**

**(14:51) Also, please charge your phone. Save it from dying. Have a heart.**

(14:52) The full stop is back, I see

**(14:52) I can’t become too predictable, now, can I?**

**(14:52) Where would be the fun in figuring me out then?**

(14:54) Wow

(14:54) That’s…

**(14:54) Intriguing?**

(14:54) Using my own words against me, I see

(14:55) Well played

(14:55) Got to turn my phone off now, class is starting

**(14:55) What are you studying?**

(14:55) Oh, are we allowed to ask questions now?

(14:56) Because I’ve got a few

(14:56) I’ll answer yours if you answer mine

(14:56) Deal?

(14:59) Okay, I really have to turn my phone off now

(14:59) Talk to you later(?)

**(15:05) Okay.**

**(15:05) As in, I’ll answer your questions, and I’ll talk to you later**

**(15:07) I don’t know if this is weird or not? Us, strangers, talking via text messages. I’ve never done anything like this before**

**(15:19) Okay, no, I’ve decided that it’s definitely weird**

**(15:22) And now I’ve decided that I don’t care that it’s weird**

**(15:28) So, yeah, talk to you later, Korra (and read your notifications or at least delete them so the image of them doesn’t haunt me every time I close my eyes)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!! it would be very lovely of you to leave a comment
> 
> title is from Tracy Chapman's song Telling Stories
> 
> is it too noticeable that I end all my sentences in emojis and don't really remember how to text without them
> 
> I wanted to call this chapter "that's rough, buddy" but then I'd be stuck comping up with chapter titles every time and I didn't wanna do that to myself bc titles aren't my strong suit
> 
> also I fought myself for possession of my phone while my keyboard was on screen to figure out Asami's keyboard smash message haha it was fun
> 
> I had this really cute idea for a Korrasami story but I only have 300 words of that so far bc this started eating up all of my attention next to work but I still wanna finish that other one too
> 
> this is still kind of an unrefined mess I'm sorry....... I'm only posting it because of the date haha I just like it when numbers match?? which is why it's fun to do the timestamps!! years ago when I had a twitter account I waited months to create it just so I'd join on 12/12/2012 so yeah..... it's a theme with me
> 
> I deleted all of my social media so I have nothing to link to! idk what I'm doing so if you read this I love you, take care xx


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korra: regular  
> Asami: **bold**

March 4th

(09:46) Hey, are you awake?

(09:46) Sorry for not replying yesterday, I just had so much to do

(09:46) By the end of the day I collapsed in bed and started sleeping the moment my head touched the pillow

**(09:51) I’ve been awake for over two hours.**

(09:52) For class?

**(09:55) No, I always wake up before 8**

(09:57) Wow??????

(09:57) Wow

(09:58) Sometimes I think I’d never stop sleeping if I didn’t set an alarm

(09:58) Though I’m also usually filled with energy and it’s not like I’m tired??

(09:58) But I can still sleep at all times

(10:01) Anyway… You’ll be glad to see this

(10:01) [Screenshot]

(10:01) See? No more notifications

**(10:03) I honestly feel relieved?**

**(10:03) I don’t know what that says about me**

(10:08) Me neither

(10:08) I’d have to be studying psychology to figure that out or something

(10:08) But I’m not!

(10:08) To answer your question from yesterday:

**(10:22) Are you still there?**

(10:22) I was trying to build anticipation

(10:23) Imagine a drumroll here

(10:24) Drumroll…

(10:27) Drumroll…

**(10:30) I don’t know whether to be amused or exasperated.**

(10:32) Let’s go with charmed

**(10:32) If you say so**

(10:33) Okay, all kidding aside, I’m studying to become a vet and I’m really excited about it

(10:33) I’m a bit behind for my age I guess?

(10:33) An accident put me in physical therapy and a wheelchair for a while

(10:33) And I had some stuff to work through

(10:34) But hey, I have an intense scar to show off with

(10:34) I survived and I’m still here and all that

(10:34) And yeah, now I’m putting my all into my studies so I can catch up

(10:34) I’m just so excited to actually be a vet, you know?

(10:35) I wish I could skip the training phase and already be amazing at it

(10:49) Guess I overshared a bit, sorry about that

**(12:05) Wow, that sounds amazing, good luck!**

**(12:05) No, not at all! I was just busy and sometimes I forget to check my phone for hours**

**(12:06) Thank you for sharing all that**

(12:08) What about you?

**(12:11) You mean what I study?**

(12:12) Yeah

**(12:21) Okay, time to share: I’m 25 years old and I’m getting my PhD in engineering.**

(12:22) Haha, very funny

**(12:24) ?**

(12:28) You’re not kidding?

**(12:31) No? Why would I be kidding?**

(12:33) Uh… Then wow

(12:33) That’s really impressive

**(12:36) Not really, if you consider my background**

(12:40) Which is…?

**(12:42) Nope**

(12:43) Too personal?

**(12:47) Just a smidgeon**

(12:48) “Smidgeon”

(12:48) I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone use that in real life

**(12:53) You still haven’t.**

(12:56) Fair point

(12:56) Also, since you shared your age

**(13:00) Yes…?**

**(13:01) You were waiting for me to ask that, weren’t you**

(13:03) What makes you think that?

(13:03) Anyway, I’m 24

(13:03) So you’re basically ancient compared to me

**(13:06) Oh, yes, that one year I have on you is going to be my undoing.**

**(13:07) However will I make it?**

(13:09) Exactly

(13:09) What if, in the future, scientists discover that anyone who’s under 25 right now is immune to whatever will kill everyone else

(13:09) And you’ll remember this conversation (I’ll have forgotten about it because I’m cool like that) and you’d be the only one who could recognise me for the prophet I am, but you never tell anyone before it’s too late

(13:10) So I never discover my true potential and go through life painfully unaware

**(13:11) In the unlikely event of that happening, it would indeed look bad for me, and for your recognition as a universally accredited prophet. I apologise for future me’s actions, or inaction in this case**

(13:13) After mulling it over, future me accepts future you’s apology gracefully

(13:13) No, “graciously”!!

(13:13) As you’ve so lovingly described me before

(13:14) Also, everything’s unlikely until it happens

**(13:16) Um… I don’t think that makes as much sense as you think it does**

(13:17) You’re probably right about that

**(13:20) Anyway, you’re distracting me!! I’ve texted more since I started talking to you since all the years before that combined**

(13:21) That’s… sad

**(13:21) And I know you’re going to say “That’s… sad” so you can save yourself the unnecessary typing.**

(13:21) Too late

**(13:22) Damn, you’re fast. Do you ever put your phone away?**

(13:23) No

(13:23) I glued it to my hand accidentally and they say it’s never coming off

(13:24) Like that movie with that guy with scissors for hands (I think that exists??), except in my case it’s a phone

**(13:28) Is that a horror movie?**

(13:29) I have no idea

(13:29) But maybe we’re in one

(13:30) “One Missed Call” except it’s “One Missed Text”

(13:30) Though I don’t watch horror movies so I don’t know if that comparison works

(13:30) I’m just going by the title

(13:31) I’m definitely surviving it though

(13:31) If nothing else, then out of spite alone

**(13:33) Me too.**

**(13:33) I’m smarter than most horror movie characters (why don’t they just leave the obviously haunted house…?? And don’t open ominous packages) and I can fight**

(13:34) How to Survive Horror Movies 101, taught by Asami Whose-Last-Name-I-Don’t-Know

(13:35) You can fight?

(13:35) And here I was, picturing you as a scrawny, nerdy engineer

**(13:36) Bye.**

(13:37) No, wait!!

(13:37) Don’t leave!

**(13:37) Like I said, you’re distracting me!! I have a lot of work that I need to get done**

**(13:38) And you probably do too, future Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (apparently abbreviated as DVM according to Google)**

(13:39) Ohhh

(13:39) I like that a lot

(13:39) Call me that again sometime?

**(13:40) Bye.**

(13:42) Okay, that’s fair

 

March 5th

(16:01) Asamiiiiiiiiiii

**(16:06) Korraaaaaaaaaaaa?**

(16:07) Did you seriously just count the number of Is I put and turned them into As??

(16:07) I’ve been waiting for you to text first but then I lost my patience and caved

**(16:09) Does that mean I win?**

**(16:09) (Yes I did count your 11 Is. (And you apparently counted them too?))**

(16:10) Was it a competition?

(16:10) (I can’t tell if that’s really weird or really impressive or both. (And yes, it’s a talent of mine? I’m just really great at telling how much of something there is, like those bowls of Smarties and stuff))

**(16:10) Not one that I was aware of**

**(16:10) I just forget about my phone sometimes?**

**(16:11) I mostly use it as a calendar and an alarm (though I rarely need one)**

**(16:11) Oh, and to take notes!! I wish I could go back in time and tell kid me that one day she’ll never have to worry about forgetting her pencil again.**

**(16:11) (I’m going to say both. (Also, that’s very cool!))**

(16:15) You forgot about me?

(16:16) Just so you know: I’m pouting

**(16:18) Do you grow attached really quickly in general or am I an exception? Because if this always happens you might want to rethink your career as a vet. It’ll destroy you if it’s too hard for you to deal with the fact that sometimes, the animals are going to die, and there’s nothing you can do about it.**

(16:22) Whoa this suddenly got intense

(16:22) Who says that I won’t be the best vet that ever lived and never see anyone in my care pass away?

(16:23) No, in all seriousness, I know, and I know it’ll be hard sometimes but I also know I can do it

(16:23) I want to try, you know? To help

(16:23) And sometimes I’ll actually be able to save a living being’s life or make it easier and that makes it all worth it

**(16:28) Sorry. It’s the anniversary of my mom’s death, and I always get a bit… I don’t know the word for it**

(16:29) Morbid?

**(16:31) Not really, just… I don’t know. But I’m sorry, I’m really glad you want to talk to me and I really don’t know enough about you to tell what you are and aren’t suited for in any way**

(16:33) Did you know that the two youngest PhD holders were only 15 and 13 years old when they got their PhDs?

**(16:36) What…?**

(16:37) Thought you’d want to change the topic?

**(16:37) Good call. Thank you**

(16:38) Though the youngest dude, this guy Karl Witte, got his PhD in like 1813 or something and I have no idea how that holds up to our standards from today

(16:38) So I’m gonna say that Kim Ung-Yong is the real record holder at 15 years old

(16:39) Though you’re still impressive, don’t worry

**(16:42) Thank you for saying that. My ego might have never recovered otherwise.**

(16:44) Damn it, I didn’t want to laugh but I did

**(16:45) Success**

(16:46) Stop being cute, my cheeks are starting to hurt from smiling too much

**(16:51) And you say I’m the cute one?**

**(16:51) Anyway, I’ve got this project I have to finish by tomorrow so I’m going to put my phone in airplane mode**

**(16:51) Talk to you tomorrow?**

(16:54) Sure, good luck!!

(16:54) Message me when you have time

(16:54) I’m meeting up with a study group now myself

(16:54) Take care, Asami

**(16:55) You too, Korra**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!! it would be very lovely of you to leave a comment (thank you to everyone who left a comment or a kudos on chapter 1!! (a kudo?? idk what the singular is or if it even has one))
> 
> this is so much fun to write omg it makes me happy?? take care, everyone!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korra: regular  
> Asami: **bold**
> 
> some of this chapter might not make sense without at least a cursory glance at the timestamps

March 6th

**(19:59) Sorry I’m only messaging you now. After finishing my project and talking things through with my advisor (which took forever… It’s the professor who grabbed my phone to message you) I just needed to rest and relax a bit (by which I mean think of my next project and how to further improve this one)**

**(20:01) Things with that professor took so long because, well, he’s eccentric, let’s put it that way, and he loves the sound of his own voice**

**(20:01) Also, his assistant is with him at all times?? And sometimes it feels like she does more work than him? But he never acknowledges it**

**(20:01) I think she might also be his wife? It’s weird.**

**(20:02) I’ve never asked him about it because I don’t want to lose three hours of my life to the incredibly, painfully detailed and diffuse story he’d inevitably start telling**

**(20:02) Also, not that he cares about these things, but I don’t think it’d be appropriate.**

**(20:05) So, yeah, that’s the unnecessarily long-winded explanation as to why it’s taken me so long to message you (I shudder to think this is a result of my exposure to him?? I swear I used to be more succinct)**

**(21:37) Did I**

**(21:37) Argh, I was trying to delete that, not send it, sorry!! Please ignore it**

**(22:44) Hope you’re well**

March 7th

(07:23) “Hope you’re well” Asami we literally talked two days ago

(07:23) You make it sound like it’s been half a decade

(07:23) Sorry for not replying yesterday

(07:24) I was on a plane

(07:24) I’m visiting my parents

(07:24) And before you say I’m slacking off:

(07:24) I’ve been to all my classes with mandatory attendance this week

(07:24) Quite a few didn’t take place and a few others just gave us assignments online

(07:25) Also, I laughed at your use of “Argh”

(07:25) Just wanted to put that out there

**(07:28) Oh, I hope you have a great time!**

(07:30) And…?

**(07:33) ?**

(07:34) Come on, don’t leave me hanging

(07:34) “Did I—” What?? How was that sentence gonna end?

(07:55) Are you hoping that if you ignore my message it’s just gonna magically disappear, or…?

(07:55) It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me

(07:55) You can just… tell me that you don’t want to tell me

(07:56) We can move on

(07:56) I can (arguably) let stuff go

**(08:00) Okay. So, I’m just going to be honest, but please don’t think… I mean, it might seem… Argh?? I don’t know how to do this**

(08:01) Trying to distract me with your renewed use of argh, I see

(08:01) It’s working

(08:02) But only 75% of my attention was diverted

(08:02) The other 25% wants to resolve this so we can move on

(08:02) And also kind of regrets bringing it up in the first place

(08:02) Do you want me to ignore it and just change the topic?

**(08:05) I was going to type out “Did I do something wrong”. That’s it. But then I realised how bad and maybe kind of guilt-trippy it sounded so I wanted to delete it and accidentally hit send instead**

(08:06) Okay, my heart just broke a little??

(08:06) And it’s only 8 in the morning

(08:06) (Which is early for me shhh)

(08:07) Asami, you didn’t do anything wrong or scare me off or whatever you might have thought

(08:07) I really like talking to you

(08:07) I mean our origin story is a bit weird, I’ll admit

(08:08) But if you look at it another way, you could just call it fun!

(08:08) Definitely interesting at least

**(08:10) Don’t you mean: intriguing**

(08:11) Okay, now it’s my turn: argh!!

(08:11) Totally forgot about that one, even though it’s kind of a classic with us

**(08:15) I like talking to you too**

**(08:15) I actually check my phone in regular intervals now?? If I don’t forget or get distracted by my projects**

**(08:16) Anyway… Thank you. Really.**

**(08:16) I thought it’d be impossible but you’ve made me feel less awkward about this**

(08:18) Korra, the Awkwardness Killer

(08:18) Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

(08:18) Wait, or does it just make me sound like a serial killer who goes after really awkward people??

(08:18) The Awkwardness Defeater, maybe?

(08:18) This is important

(08:18) I’ll have to think on it

**(08:20) Do that. The fate of the world depends on your decision.**

(08:21) You know, I can just tell that you’re smirking right now?

(08:21) Don’t even try to deny it

(08:22) You’re definitely the type to snicker when you’ve come up with something that you think is witty and then you send it and feel a bit triumphant

**(08:24) Laughter has been known to prolong life. So if you think about it, laughing at your own jokes or “witty remarks,” etc., is really the only sensible course of action if you want to live a long and healthy life**

**(08:24) Also, I’m calling it: It takes one to see one**

(08:27) I don’t deny it

(08:27) I’m constantly amused by myself

(08:27) (Or impressed, because I’m pretty awesome)

(08:27) I guess we’ll live forever, then

(08:28) We’ll make it into the Guinness Book of Records and I’ll be able to check that off my bucket list

**(08:31) You have a bucket list?**

**(08:31) And that’s on it?**

(08:33) Do I sense judgement?

(08:33) It was my dream to make it in there when I was a kid, okay

(08:33) Well, one of them

(08:34) Let me tell you: Never try to twirl a basketball on your toothbrush—while it’s in your mouth—for an extended period of time

(08:34) It’s not worth it

(08:34) My face hurt for so long afterwards

**(08:35) Uh… I don’t know what to say to that?**

(08:36) That’s fine, my parents are calling me back inside for breakfast

(08:37) I can’t believe I spent my time outside in the snow glued to my phone instead of enjoying it and making snow angels or something

(08:37) My hands are frozen now, by the way

(08:37) Had to take my gloves off to type

(08:37) You’re a bad influence but I can’t complain

(08:38) You’ll have to send autocorrect a thank you note for fixing my frozen-finger-induced typos

(08:38) Okay, got to go, talk to you later

**(08:40) Have a great day, Korra**

(18:14) Update: I did have a great day!!

(18:14) It’s so nice to be home again??

(18:14) I’ve missed everyone

**(18:18) Do you have a big family?**

(18:20) If we’re talking genetic relations, it’s mostly me and my parents

(18:20) But a lot of people in town are basically part of the family

(18:21) It’s a close-knit community but in a good, loving way

(18:21) Instead of the horror movie kind of way

**(18:24) For someone who doesn’t watch horror movies, you sure bring them up quite a lot in conversation**

(18:24) Touché

(18:24) (I’ve waited for an occasion to use that for years so thanks for providing)

(18:25) I don’t really have an explanation for that

(18:25) Maybe it’s because I’ve never watched any?

(18:25) But have heard of the tropes and stuff

(18:25) So I guess my brain is making them out to be worse than they are

**(18:27) As someone who’s watched quite a few horror movies: doubtful**

**(18:28) Some of them are the actual worst and I don’t think you have an imagination messed-up enough to come up with the stuff they depict**

(18:32) Do I want to know…?

**(18:33) Trust me, you really don’t**

**(18:33) I wish I could erase some of them from my memories**

(18:36) Well, good thing that you’re an engineer, then!

(18:36) You’ll just have to invent a machine that can do that

**(18:41) “Just”**

**(18:41) I’m not sure what the ethical implications of a device like that would be**

**(18:41) How would we learn from our mistakes if we could simply go ahead and erase them?**

**(18:42) Then again, some people’s quality of life would seriously improve without certain traumatic memories…**

(18:44) I’m gonna leave you to it

(18:44) We’re doing family game night and I have to stretch my muscles

**(18:47) Uh… What kind of games do you play?**

(18:48) Card games and board games, mostly

**(18:49) And you need your muscles for that because…?**

(18:50) Ohhh

(18:50) I meant my metaphorical game-playing muscles, of course

**(18:50) Of course.**

(18:50) Though with some games, my real ones might come in handy

(18:51) Anyway, wish me luck!!

(18:51) I plan to win so many times that my parents regret giving birth to me

**(18:52) That’s… dramatic**

**(18:52) I’m not sure I should support that endeavour?**

(18:53) “Good luck, Korra! I have trust in your ability to totally destroy your parents in Scrabble!”

(18:53) Why, thank you, Asami

(18:53) That’s very sweet of you

**(18:54) You took the words right out of my mouth.**

**(18:54) Why didn’t you ever tell me you were a mind reader?**

(18:55) Got to keep the mystery alive

(18:55) Okay, I’ve really got to go now

(18:55) My parents are getting impatient

(18:55) Bye!!

**(19:08) Good luck**

(23:01) I saw that!!

(23:01) It worked

(23:02) I won so many times at several different games that I’m not sure my parents are ever gonna play with me again??

(23:02) It was worth it, though

(23:02) Next to my game-playing prowess, you contributed, too!!

(23:02) Some might say you’re my good-luck charm

**(23:11) Congratulations**

(23:13) Oh, wow, how come you’re still up?

(23:13) I’m honestly surprised, Asami Always-Wakes-Up-Before-8

**(23:15) Never said I go to bed early. It doesn’t matter when I fall asleep, I still wake up before 8**

**(23:16) Guess I’m just wired that way**

**(23:16) Because I’m an engineer, get it?**

(23:19) Yes, amazingly I did get your incredibly intricate wordplay

(23:19) Are you impressed?

**(23:22) Of course**

**(23:23) I’m practically swooning**

**(23:23) The game-playing champion of the year acknowledged my existence? Wow, I tell you. Wow.**

(23:24) Ha, ha

(23:24) You know how, during sleepovers as a kid, it was always easier to talk about stuff when the lights were out?

(23:25) I’m really tired and I want to sleep but I also want to see if we can re-create that here even though it’s a totally different scenario

**(23:27) Go to sleep, Korra**

(23:28) Nooo

(23:28) Tell me something about yourself

**(23:33) Okay, fine**

**(23:33) I’m not sure if I’ve ever been to a proper sleepover? What are the parameters for something to qualify as one?**

**(23:51) You really do fall asleep quickly, don’t you?**

**(23:51) Sleep well, Undisputed Champion of Destroying Parents at Board and Card Games**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading! it would be very lovely of you to leave a comment (thank you to everyone who has, I appreciate it so much!! idk if it's weird to reply to everyone but I want to thank you??)
> 
> "this is so much fun to write," she said, thereby jinxing herself. haha no but the beginning and some other parts of this chapter were so hard to figure out..... idk how I feel about it but here it is
> 
> I've never watched horror movies?? I've heard about such horrible things happening in them?? and I get scared and perturbed easily haha so yeah it's for my own protection


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korra: regular  
> Asami: **bold**

March 8th

(09:07) You should create a Wikipedia page for the Undisputed Champion of Destroying Parents at Board and Card Games (or UCDPBCG, for short)

(09:08) And put me as the current titleholder

(09:08) Yeah, sorry, my ability to fall asleep instantly surprises even me sometimes

(09:08) Also, you’ve never been to a proper sleepover??

(09:09) How come?

**(09:32) I’ll put it on my to-do list**

**(09:32) I mean… I’ve been to sleepovers? But they always had a guest bedroom so we never slept in the same room to experience that “it’s easier to talk about things when the lights are out” thing**

(09:44) Guest bedroom??

(09:44) I’m just gonna be blunt:

(09:44) Are you rich?

(09:44) Also, my replies might be a bit late, sorry

(09:45) If I don’t limit the amount of times I check my phone, my mom might take it away from me in the name of family time

(09:45) (I’m not kidding)

**(09:59) It’s fine, my replies will probably take a while too**

(10:03) And…

**(10:11) My father is very wealthy.**

(10:12) Okay, I’m guessing he’s kind of an off-limits topic

(10:12) Which is totally fine

(10:18) You know, I’ve always thought that if I got rich somehow, I wouldn’t be rich for long

(10:18) Money can save lives in the truest sense of the word

(10:18) And how much does one person even need?

**(10:27) That makes you a much better person than my father. Not that there was ever any doubt**

**(10:28) Anyway, I’m going to turn my phone off now. There’s too much I have to work on for me to risk getting distracted**

**(10:28) I might thrive under pressure but I’m trying to not rely on it too much to help me get stuff done**

(10:35) Sure!

(10:35) Have productive day

(23:03) You know when you take a shower and you can’t fight off the feeling that someone’s in the room with you?

(23:03) I just managed to wash my hair without closing my eyes once

**(23:11) Why??**

(23:12) Welcome back

(23:12) Did your day of productivity go well?

**(23:14) I know you’re trying to distract me.**

**(23:14) (It did, thank you)**

(23:15) Damn it

(23:16) Okay, don’t laugh

(23:16) I watched Woman in Black tonight

(23:16) One of my friends bet that I wouldn’t make it through a “scary movie”

(23:16) So I obviously had to prove him wrong

(23:16) After my parents went to bed

(23:17) (Sometimes they have the bedtime of 90-year-olds, I swear)

(23:17) And yeah…

(23:17) Now I feel like that overdramatically vengeful lady is everywhere

(23:17) Just out of sight?

(23:17) Like standing behind me or something

(23:18) Couldn’t she just have moved on after the whole “bones of the child” thing?

(23:18) It didn’t make sense

**(23:21) Yeah, it’s a pretty bad movie**

**(23:22) I’ve watched it and it’s really not that scary**

**(23:22) She only goes after kids anyway? So even if she hypothetically existed, you’d be safe**

(23:23) I don’t know

(23:23) I don’t mind monster movies and stuff like that because monsters you can fight

(23:24) But if you try to kick a ghost, your kick is just gonna go through

(23:24) I mean, what do you do??

(23:24) How do you fight them?

**(23:27) There’s no record of volatile ghosts existing that I know of**

**(23:27) Should ghosts exist, they seem to be more confused in a peaceful way than out to get you**

**(23:27) So I don’t think you have anything to worry about**

**(23:27) It’s like sharks, you know? Blown out of proportion.**

(23:28) …What?

**(23:29) Well, movies depict sharks as this great evil that hunts and kills people all the time (and I’m not saying sharks have never killed anyone)**

**(23:30) But they’re not thinking “Muahahaha let me kill those unsuspecting humans” while twirling their villain moustache or something**

**(23:30) If they’re hungry, they look for food, like anyone would do**

**(23:30) And it just so happens that we’re part of their options**

(23:32) Uh… I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone going to bat so hard for sharks

**(23:33) It’s like with rats, you know?**

**(23:33) Sure, they gave Europeans the plague or whatever, but they’re not evil incarnate**

**(23:34) And yet movies and video games make them out to be monsters (the people who make video games seem incapable of designing a cellar or dungeon without giant rats who attack you at random times. Why are they even giant?? It’s never explained, but probably because regular-size rats are actually really cute and nothing to be afraid of)**

(23:35) Wow

(23:35) You really care about this

(23:35) Also, I will not stand for this Ratatouille erasure

**(23:36) Yes, how could I forget?**

**(23:36) Shame on me**

(23:39) Yeah, how could you??

(23:39) You’d think a rat cooking meals by pulling on some dude’s hair would be hard not to remember

**(23:41) In all fairness, I’ve never seen it in its entirety**

(23:42) What?????????????????????????

(23:42) ???????????????????????????????????????????

(23:42) ???????!!!!!!!!!!?????????

(23:42) Are you serious?

**(23:43) Okay, now I’m slightly afraid to say it… but yes**

(23:43) Nooo, you have to fix that right now!!

**(23:44) I just checked and it’s 111 minutes long**

**(23:45) I’ll only fall asleep and miss most of it again**

(23:47) Okay, fair

(23:47) But you should watch it as soon as possible

(23:47) It’s cute

(23:48) Or are you the type of person who only likes those really realistic, “gritty” movies that drag your mood down into the gutter

(23:48) The ones with barely any music and just painfully awkward silences instead

(23:48) Personally, if it doesn’t have a happy or at least hopeful ending

(23:48) Then I don’t want it

**(23:50) You know I’ve watched some horror movies, so “realism” doesn’t really factor into whether I’ll watch a movie or not**

**(23:50) I do like serious, understated movies sometimes?**

**(23:51) I think they have their place. And they can really make you feel, and ponder on things, too**

**(23:51) Even if it’s just how pretentious the scriptwriter and/or director is**

**(23:51) I don’t know, I couldn’t really say what I look for in a movie. I only know if it’s got it or not after**

**(23:52) Also, fine, I’ll watch Ratatouille from start to finish. For you.**

(23:55) Okay, that just made me actually go “awww” out loud so I’m going to skip over your use of “ponder”

(23:55) (Who’s that talking about being pretentious?)

**(23:56) Ha, ha.**

**(23:56) It’s a pretty word? It feels round, and it reminds me of water (because it contains pond) so that’s soothing**

(23:57) You’re doing it again

**(23:58) What?**

(00:00) Being cute

(00:00) Stop it, my cheeks hurt

**(00:01) This is our first time**

(00:03) Uh…

(00:03) What?

**(00:04) Talking past midnight, I mean**

(00:05) Ohhh

(00:05) That

(00:05) Yeah, true

**(00:06) Were you thinking about what I think you were thinking about?**

(00:07) Does that surprise you??

(00:07) I’m:

(00:07) a) Tired

(00:08) and b) It has a pretty clearly defined connotation

**(00:08) To quote you from earlier tonight: “That’s fair”**

(00:08) Ummm, excuse you

(00:09) I said “Okay, fair,” thank you very much

**(00:09) Really?**

(00:09) I can’t believe you’re making me scroll up to prove it to you

(00:09) But don’t think I won’t do it

(00:09) (Yes, I am that stubborn)

(00:13) Ta-dah!

(00:13) [Screenshot]

(00:13) “Okay, fair” at 23:47

(00:14) Victory is mine

(00:20) Did you fall asleep?

**(00:22) No, I was just getting ready for bed**

**(00:22) Unlike you, it takes me a while until I can actually sleep**

(00:23) Yes, not everyone is blessed with my many talents

**(00:23) And what a shame that is**

(00:23) Right?

**(00:24) I notice it took you strangely long to find that message**

(00:26) Okay, so this is top secret information that I’m about to share with you

(00:26) Do you understand?

(00:26) It’s not to leave this chat

(00:26) Ever

**(00:27) I understand.**

(00:27) The full stop of seriousness shows me that you speak the truth

(00:28) Okay…

(00:28) So…

(00:28) Are you imagining a drumroll?

**(00:29) Of course**

(00:29) Are you lying?

**(00:29) Of course**

(00:30) Fine, I’ll tell you anyway

(00:30) In exactly two-and-a-half minutes

**(00:30) I can’t believe you’re not too tired for this**

**(00:31) When I’m tired I tend to get straight to the point**

(00:31) I’m never too tired for THE SUSPENSE

(00:31) (or being annoying, as the ruder among us would call it)

**(00:31) I can’t tell if I’m impressed or exasperated**

(00:31) That’s my brand

(00:32) Anyway, it is time!!

(00:32) The truth shall now be revealed

(00:32) Like a curtain being pulled back from… a window

(00:32) (Can you tell English wasn’t my best subject?)

(00:32) I just wanted to find the message for the screenshot but then I got caught up in reading our messages and couldn’t stop for a while

(00:32) We’re entertaining

**(00:33) Wow, you typed fast**

(00:33) I typed that out minutes ago and cut it so I could paste it at exactly the right moment

(00:33) Never doubt my dedication

**(00:34) I won’t**

(00:34) I’ll hold you to that

**(00:34) Please do**

**(00:34) Also, you could have just said that minutes ago**

(00:35) Where’s the fun in that?

(00:35) By the way, I just yawned

**(00:35) Thank you for that riveting update**

(00:36) I think I’m gonna go to sleep?

**(00:36) Good idea**

(00:36) Thanks for keeping me company

(00:36) And distracting me from thinking that ghost lady is everywhere

(00:37) Though now that I’ve remembered that that was what I wanted to be distracted from

(00:37) The worry is back

**(00:37) She’s not going to hurt you, I promise**

(00:37) That… actually did make me feel better

(00:38) Are you laughing at me?

**(00:38) No**

(00:38) Are you lying?

**(00:38) No**

(00:38) Thanks for making me feel safe, Asami

(00:38) I know I’m being silly, but…

(00:39) I really appreciate it

**(00:40) Okay, you never get to call me cute again**

(00:40) Why?

**(00:40) Because you just said the sweetest possible thing??**

**(00:41) Thereby taking the throne in the Cuteness Championships**

(00:41) Okay, but now you just said this??

(00:41) So you can’t take away my right to call you cute

(00:41) Also, why can’t we just both be cute??

(00:41) It doesn’t cancel each other out

(00:42) For example, baby ducks don’t have to fight for which of them gets to be cute

(00:42) They all are!!

(00:42) And so a Korra and an Asami can both be cute at the same time

(00:42) Nature allows it

(00:42) It’s her way

**(00:43) Fine**

(00:43) Victory!!

(00:43) (Again, by the way)

**(00:43) Weren’t you going to sleep?**

(00:43) Boooooooooo

**(00:44) Are you… boo-ing me?**

(00:44) Yes

**(00:44) Why?**

(00:45) No, it’s too cheesy, I can’t say it

**(00:45) Say what?**

(00:45) Okay, but if you snort then I’m gonna be mad

(00:45) (And before you say I have no way of knowing: I’ll know)

(00:46) I was boo-ing the fact that you reminded me of pesky things such as sleep

(00:46) That prevent me from talking to you all the time

(00:46) There

(00:46) I mean, I can’t even believe that we started talking not even a week ago??

(00:46) It’s like…

(00:46) (I get cheesy when I’m this tired, okay, so don’t laugh)

(00:47) You know those huge puzzles with the tiny pieces that are so frustrating you wanna give up?

(00:47) But when you finally find one that fits and it completes the picture a bit more

(00:47) It’s like it was never missing?

(00:47) That’s kind of how I feel about you

(00:50) Was that too much?

(00:50) If you fell asleep now of all times I might just cry

**(00:51) I’m still here**

**(00:51) And I don’t think you get cheesy. No, you start saying the sweetest things??**

**(00:51) I don’t even know how to react except to say that I feel the same about all this**

**(00:51) Which surprises me, and maybe scares me a bit, too**

**(00:52) But… yeah. Talking to you means a lot to me**

(00:52) This is making me feel too much for how tired I am so I’m gonna cut us off before we make each other combust

(00:52) I’m really going to sleep now

(00:52) (I think??)

(00:53) I probably won’t have reception all day tomorrow because I’m going on a small trip with my parents

(00:53) But I’ll be back the day after!!

(00:53) And then I have to go back to uni, ugh

(00:53) And remind myself daily that I’m doing this to finally become an official vet

(00:54) Anyway…

(00:54) My brain is turning to mush and my eyes are barely open anymore

(00:54) So I feel like I have to thank autocorrect

(00:54) And with that, I leave

(00:55) Good night, Asami

**(00:56) Good night, Korra**

 

March 9th

**(19:18) I watched Ratatouille. It was weird, in some ways? And some parts were kind of messy**

**(19:19) But all in all, I liked it**

(22:12) Aaaaaaahhh!!!!!!

(22:12) Imagine me doing that chef’s kiss

(22:21) I guess you’re sleeping

(22:21) I should probably follow your example

(22:27) I missed talking to you today

(22:27) Okay, I hit send before I could delete it

(22:27) But it’s true, so what the hell

(22:28) Hope you sleep well

(22:28) And… I’m looking forward to talking to you tomorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!! it would be very lovely of you to leave a comment (thank you for all the kudos and comments and all that, it means so much!!)
> 
> I know that after midnight it's technically the next day but I decided it'd really decrease the readability so I left it under the 8th?? tell me if that really bothers you, I can still change it
> 
> at the end there they're just lying in bed holding their phone up and grinning while fighting off yawns. I can't believe they talked more in one night that they ever have in an entire day??
> 
> over the past couple of days I've really wanted to work on this but by the time I had time I was too tired haha
> 
> I've actually watched Woman in Black!! I watched it with a friend on Halloween years ago and we'd microwaved ourselves a bowl of popcorn which turned out to be a mistake bc they just flew everywhere when we jumped and clutched at each other in fear haha....... thank you Wikipedia plot summaries for refreshing the plot for me  
> and then I watched part 2 with a different friend a couple years after that (again on Halloween haha) and from what I can remember it was so bad that it didn't scare us once, we were just laughing most of the time?? but maybe that was just my friend's influence; she's not easy to scare!!
> 
> EDIT: ok so I edited this small part and I really hope it doesn't notify everyone of that?? but if it did then I'm sorry omg I really don't know how subscriptions work


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korra: regular  
> Asami: **bold**

March 10th

**(06:52) I went to bed pretty early yesterday because I wanted/needed to get some work done in the morning, i.e. now**

**(06:57) I missed talking to you too**

(07:01) Aha!

(07:01) I saw that

**(07:03) Yes, the other person reading one’s message is generally the point of sending it to them**

**(07:04) Also, why are you awake?**

(07:07) My plane’s leaving soon and we have to get to the airport

(07:07) I don’t want to leave

**(07:09) Are you moving back home once you’re done with your studies?**

(07:11) Uh… I’ve never actually thought about that

(07:11) It’s so far off

(07:11) I can’t plan that far ahead

(07:11) It’d just turn out differently anyway

(07:12) I subscribe more to the whole live-in-the-moment, roll-with-the-punches kind of thinking

(07:12) Except for when it comes to me being a very, nay, an extremely successful vet in the future

(07:12) That’s just an inevitable outcome

(07:12) There’s no way it’s not happening

(07:13) Everything else, though?

(07:13) Who knows

(07:14) Crap, my parents are saying we have to go but I still haven’t finished packing up my stuff

(07:14) I’ll message you while boredly waiting at the airport

**(07:16) You don’t plan ahead at all? I can’t imagine that**

**(07:16) I think I do it too much**

**(07:16) Thinking about all sorts of eventualities and possibilities and those things**

**(07:17) In some ways, I guess it’s necessary for being an inventor, considering the probability of things that haven’t happened yet/existed before**

**(07:17) But it can make you feel like you aren’t really living? Not present in the world, in a way**

**(07:18) I can spend days in my inventor bubble, you know? Without missing the outside world or interacting with others**

**(07:18) And that scares me sometimes**

**(07:18) I don’t want to turn into my father. The thought terrifies me**

**(07:25) Anyway… Please ignore all of the above**

**(07:25) I don’t know what came over me and why I shared all of that but now I’m slightly embarrassed about it and would appreciate it if you could pretend it never happened**

(09:15) Hey, sorry, it all took a bit longer than we thought it would

(09:15) But now I have almost an hour to wait boredly

(09:15) Yay

(09:16) I really hope you’re not busy because I need you to join me in the fight against my boredom

(09:16) Together, we stand a chance of defeating it

(09:21) Asamiiiii

(09:24) Asaaaaami

(09:27) Aaaaasami

(09:32) I’m out of vowels to prolong

(09:35) Hope whatever you’re busy with is going well

(09:35) And that your phone is on silent because otherwise…

(09:35) Sorry about that

**(09:37) Wow**

(09:37) Asami!!!!!!!!!

(09:37) You’re here!!!!!

((09:38) It says boarding is gonna start soon but at this point I think the boarding time they put is never more than their wishful thinking

(09:38) Or a way to trick people into actually being on time for once

**(09:39) I was at the gym so I only just saw your messages. Endurance training helps when I need my brain to shut off for a bit**

(09:40) That’s really cool!

(09:40) I mostly work on my strength

(09:40) I guess once you’ve been crushed beneath something’s weight and were unable to free yourself, it can serve as a powerful motivator to get stronger

(09:41) I never want to feel that helpless again

(09:41) Though I should really also work on my endurance

**(09:42) Is your plan to turn into Super Korra and fight crime?**

**(09:43) Vet by day, Super Korra by night**

(09:43) I can’t have my actual name in my moniker

(09:43) That kind of defeats the whole purpose of it

**(09:44) What would you call yourself, then?**

**(09:47) Is your plane boarding?**

(09:49) No, you just put me on the spot

(09:49) I’ve been trying to come up with a good superhero name for me

(09:49) But I can’t think of one??

**(09:50) Usually it’d be other people who give it to you anyway.**

**(09:50) You only have to start doing the hero thing and then the media will come up with a name for you, don’t worry**

(09:51) No, I don’t trust them

(09:51) I’ve decided

(09:51) I shall be known as The Sleepy One

(09:51) Because I feel like my yawn just now might have unhinged my jaw a bit

**(09:52) You should sleep on the plane**

(09:52) I intend to

(09:52) What’d be your superhero name?

**(09:52) The Ingenious Engineer**

(09:53) I’ll have you know I just snorted and got some weird looks for it

(09:53) Also, you came up with that way too fast

(09:53) You’ve totally thought about this before, admit it

**(09:55) I have.**

(09:55) I like that you have

(09:55) Ohh, the business class people and people with small children are lining up for boarding

(09:55) It’s starting

**(09:56) Have a safe flight**

(09:56) Thanks

(09:56) Since you seem to be my lucky charm (see: Undisputed Champion and-so-on-I-can’t-remember) I know I’ll be safe

**(09:56) That’s a lot of pressure I didn’t sign up for and I don’t like it**

(09:56) It comes with the job, it’s all in the fine print

(09:57) Don’t worry, I’ve decided that my superpower will be that I’m indestructible

(09:57) So even if we should crash, that will obviously be the traumatic event that causes my powers to show themselves

(09:57) You’re in the clear

(09:57) I’ll message you later

**(09:58) Oh, well in that case I guess I have nothing to worry about**

**(09:58) Except for the dozens of other people who would die in this hypothetical scenario**

**(09:59) Take care, Korra**

(17:11) Without further ado, I give you:

(17:11) The Return of Korraaaaaaaaaa!!!!!

(17:12) No matter what you say, I’m gonna pretend you heard the dramatic music that was accompanying that in my mind

**(17:28) Did your flight go well?**

**(17:28) Or are you the world’s newest superhero?**

(17:33) If I were, I couldn’t very well tell you, now, could I?

(17:33) But it went well

(17:33) And when I got back I got swept up in stuff and now I’m facing the crushing realisation of how behind I am on my coursework

(17:33) Please distract me

(17:33) Please, please, please, please, please?

(17:33) Please

**(17:37) Oh, you’re a procrastinator?**

(17:38) I am a pro

(17:38) Not sure about the crastinator part

**(17:40) Very funny**

(17:40) Thanks, I thought so

(17:41) My motivation kind of comes and goes in extremes

(17:41) It’s either at 0% or at 100%

(17:41) (I’m exaggerating)

(17:41) And right now I’m lying on my bed and 0% interested in reading stuffy academic writing

(17:41) It’s such a pissing contest?

(17:41) Academic A: “Oh, look at me, I have found the most convoluted way of saying a simple thing, thereby illustrating that I am oh so intelligent.”

(17:42) Academic B: “Forsooth it is I who is the most intelligent for you cannot understand what I am trying to say even after reading it 10 times.”

(17:45) Academic C: “Noitacitsihpos tsomtu ruoy wohs ot sdrawkcab ti etirw uoy did tub?”

**(17:49) Are you having fun?**

(17:50) I am, thanks for asking

**(17:54) If you had invested half the effort you put into writing that sentence backwards into actually getting something done, you’d probably be pretty far along by now**

(17:55) Ah, yes, but I wouldn’t have snickered to myself in amusement, thereby prolonging my life as previously established in our conversations

(17:55) The thrilling continuation:

(17:55) Academic D: “Hey, check it out, you can actually understand what I’m saying after only reading it once!”

(17:56) Academics A, B, and C, pointing at Academic D: “Boooooooo! Most unworthy! Revoke their title immediately.”

**(17:57) Korra…**

(17:57) Asami…

**(17:57) I know it can be very annoying and the last thing you want to be doing, but you’ll feel better later if you get started now**

**(17:58) Don’t put all the pressure on future you to finish it all as fast as possible**

**(17:58) You’re not going to want to do it more if you wait, believe me**

(18:00) …I hate that you’re right

(18:00) Boooooo

**(18:02) You’re being like Academics A, B, and C with their boo-ing**

(18:03) I’m gasping

(18:03) You wound me

(18:03) Using my own fictional creations against me

(18:03) How dare you

**(18:04) Is it working?**

(18:06) It might be

(18:10) [Image]

(18:10) There, I’m working on it

**(18:12) How do you find anything on your desk??**

(18:12) Bold of you to assume I want to

**(18:13) Is there a secret order to your chaos that only you know about?**

(18:13) Nah

(18:13) I mostly just lose stuff

(18:13) Only to find it again months later once I’ve finally written it off for good and replaced it

(18:13) Show me yours?

**(18:14) You’re still distracting yourself**

(18:14) Yeah, I’ll own up to it

(18:14) And…?

**(18:17) You want me to show you my desk?**

(18:18) If you feel comfortable with that

**(18:18) I can’t believe we’re in a “If I show you mine, you show me yours” situation**

**(18:19) Aren’t we too old for that?**

(18:20) No such thing

**(18:33) [Image]**

(18:33) And you called me chaotic??

**(18:33) Now, before you say anything, I know it’s cluttered, but it’s not chaos. I know where everything is and where it goes**

(18:33) Once again, my fingers were too fast for you

**(18:34) It’s not chaos!!**

**(18:34) Like that pile in the back right corner? Those are designs that have actual potential and are realisable within a reasonable timeframe**

**(18:34) The ones in the back left corner are the ones I refer to as daydreams. They’re about as likely at the moment as me suddenly sprouting wings and flying through the room, but I’m determined to make them work at some point.**

**(18:35) Then the lower left corner, those are just ones I haven’t gotten around to throwing away yet**

**(18:35) And so on**

**(18:44) It seems my organisational skills have inspired you to actually get work done so I’m just going to go ahead and feel pleased**

(21:47) “Organisational skills”

(21:47) That is… what do you call it… a delusion

**(21:50) Ha, ha.**

(21:51) No one but you would see that as anything other than a mess

**(21:52) Maybe so, but as long as I know my way around it, I’d say it works**

(21:53) Okay, fine, fair point

(21:53) You have Asami-only organisational skills

**(21:54) Thank you. Did you make progress on your coursework?**

(21:55) Yup! I’m proud of myself

(21:55) And maybe, just maybe, I’m a tiny bit thankful towards you

(21:55) I think you’re a good influence on me

(21:55) Except for the fact that I now spend more time on my phone than before

(21:55) I should probably take a page out of my parents’ book and sleep now…

(21:56) Got a class early tomorrow morning

(21:56) Do you know how to influence what you dream about?

(21:56) I want to go to Neptune and find forgotten Earth cities on it

(21:56) Underwater, of course

(21:56) Wait, is there even water on Neptune?

**(22:00) There seems to be no sure-fire way of influencing dreams, though thinking hard and long about what you want to dream about and spending a lot of time with it during the day seems to be your best bet**

**(22:00) But chances are high that you won’t remember your dream(s)**

**(22:00) And Uranus and Neptune are both called ice giants, so any water there would be frozen, I presume**

(22:02) Did you just google for me?

(22:02) You did, I can tell

(22:02) I’m honestly touched

**(22:07) Sleep well, Korra**

**(22:07) I hope your dreams of your dreams come true**

(22:08) That’s the first time I’ve ever read that sentence

**(22:09) It’s the first time I’ve ever written it**

(22:12) Asami…

**(22:13) Yes?**

(22:13) Do you think we’ll grow bored of this?

(22:13) Talking to each other, I mean

(22:14) Sometimes people just disappear

(22:14) And you never hear from them again

(22:14) That’s just life, I guess, but…

(22:14) I don’t want that to happen

**(22:15) Did something happen today?**

(22:15) Why do you ask?

**(22:15) Earlier today, you said you’re a, and I quote, “live in the moment, roll with the punches” kind of person**

**(22:15) But now you’re worrying about something that may or may not happen, and I’m just wondering what caused that**

(22:18) Nothing

(22:18) It’s fine

(22:18) Just ignore this

(22:18) There’s no way to know what’ll happen anyway

(22:18) It’s better that way

**(22:20) Predictive analytics do exist, but there are unpredictable variables that they can’t account for**

**(22:21) We don’t really know each other, so if something happens that for whatever reason puts us off of wanting to talk to each other…**

**(22:21) I think it would be simple to just stop typing, because we wouldn’t run into each other again (which would give us an incentive to work through our problems, while chats like this can be avoided and deleted and erased more easily)**

**(22:22) At the moment, we talk to each other because we enjoy it and it offers distraction and interaction**

**(22:22) In the end, though, there’s so much we don’t know about each other, and some of that could very well make us lose interest in talking to each other**

**(22:22) Who knows? It’s impossible to tell, really**

**(22:22) But for my part, I don’t want to stop talking to you, and from where I stand right now, I don’t see myself losing interest in it any time soon either**

(22:24) Asami, that’s the driest way I’ve ever seen someone talk about a relationship (as in two people interacting with each other)

(22:24) Except for this guy I used to date, I guess

**(22:25) I dated someone like that, too**

**(22:25) Very hot-headed at times but then very distant at others?**

(22:26) Exactly!

(22:26) That’s exactly the way it was in my case too

**(22:27) I’m not really detached or anything, I’m just analytical**

**(22:27) You asked a question and I wanted to properly think it through**

**(22:27) Sorry if it seemed a bit cold**

(22:28) No, it’s fine

(22:28) I guess I was just in a bit of a weird mood

(22:28) I should really sleep now

(22:28) Talk to you tomorrow?

(22:28) Probably won’t have as much time as today, though

**(22:30) That’s fine, me neither**

**(22:30) I wish you dreams of Neptune and that you feel well-rested tomorrow morning**

March 11th

(06:45) Ugh

(06:45) Why

(06:46) I didn’t dream of Neptune, by the way

(06:46) I’d demand a refund, but I’m pretty happy with what my brain came up with instead

**(06:59) What did you dream about?**

(07:01) Nope

(07:01) Not telling

**(07:02) You realise how suspicious that sounds, right?**

(07:06) It’s nothing scandalous

(07:07) I just want to keep it between my brain and me, that’s all

**(07:07) That… doesn’t make it sound any better**

(07:09) I’m an angel, stop implying weird stuff

(07:09) Anyway, it’ll be a while till I can check my phone

(07:09) Don’t miss me too much in the mean time

**(07:11) I won’t**

(07:13) I’m hurt

**(07:13) Why? You told me not to miss you…**

(07:14) You could at least pretend

(07:14) Boo

(07:14) (I’m boo-ing you in a way that has nothing to do with Academics A, B, and C, so there)

**(07:15) Have a productive day, Korra**

(07:16) Boo

(07:16) (You too)

**(10:35) I’m baking bread**

**(10:35) I’ve never done it before, but it’s actually really fun?**

**(10:36) Satisfying, in a way**

(12:23) Why?

**(12:55) My advisor (the one I’ve told you about) challenged me to do something I’ve never done before, and he said he’d know if I didn’t do it**

(13:13) How would he know?? That sounds creepy

**(13:18) He says I have a tell when I’m lying, but I haven’t been able to figure it out**

**(13:18) He’s not always watching or something, don’t worry**

(14:02) And how did it go?

**(14:14) Baking bread?**

(14:53) Yeah

**(15:20) My first try failed, either because the yeast was “dead” (baking terminology is weird) or because I didn’t let it rise long enough or let it rise for too long**

**(15:21) I think my second try went better? Not sure yet though, we’ll see**

(15:47) If it turns out good and we’re still talking in 3 months, promise you’ll send me a loaf?

(15:47) A spelt one

**(15:56) Can you send bread in the mail?**

(15:58) Why not?

(15:58) Google says it’s possible

(15:58) And I believe what Google tells me to a maybe worrying degree

**(16:05) Google only shows you search results, it doesn’t share its own information**

(16:11) Yeah, but I’m not gonna scroll through countless pages of “can you send bread in the mail,” I’m gonna go with what result number 1 tells me

(16:11) Maybe 2 and 3 if I’m feeling generous (or bored)

(16:12) So will you?

**(16:16) Sure, why not**

(16:20) Yes!!

(16:20) I feel like it’s my duty to inform you that I’ll hold you to that

**(16:27) I’d except nothing less**

**(18:39) It turned out pretty well, I think?**

**(18:39) I’m happy with it**

(18:51) Show me a picture?

**(18:55) Is this becoming a thing now with us? First the desks, now this**

(19:04) Do you mind?

**(19:08) I don’t**

**(19:08) [Image]**

(19:11) Nooooo!!!!

**(19:13) ???**

**(19:13) That bad?**

(19:19) No, that good

(19:19) It looks amazing

(19:19) But now I’m craving freshly baked bread and I have no access to any…

(19:20) I’m gonna go see if daring my roommate to bake some will work

**(19:26) You could just take up baking bread yourself?**

(19:33) Could I?

(19:33) Yes

(19:33) Will I?

(19:33) No

**(19:42) Did daring your roommate work?**

(19:44) No comment

**(19:47) I’m starting to suspect you might be a sore loser**

(19:48) Pshaw

(19:48) Admitting defeat would imply that I’ve given up

(19:49) But the dare was only Plan A

(19:49) I have Plans B, C, D, E, F, G, and H ready to go as well

(19:49) One of them will work

(19:49) That’s the Korra Guarantee

**(19:53) I can’t believe you just used “pshaw”**

**(19:53) You can never laugh because of something I say again**

(19:55) But laughing prolongs my life!!

(19:55) Don’t you care about my longevity at all?

**(19:57) Fine.**

(20:00) You’re great

**(20:04) Oh**

**(20:04) Thank you, Korra**

(20:06) Okay, I can’t turn it into a joke now but I’m not even angry about it

(20:06) You’re

(20:06) Oops

**(20:07) Yes?**

(20:08) Huh?

**(20:10) I am…?**

(20:11) That was a mistake

(20:11) Wasn’t meant for you

**(20:12) Uh-huh**

(20:13) I can tell you don’t believe me

**(20:13) What gave it away?**

(20:14) Your tell, obviously

(20:14) Your advisor was right

**(20:15) Okay, I know there’s no way you can know over text, but… if you ever do figure it out, please tell me**

**(20:15) I need to know my tell**

(20:17) Why, are you planning on running a con?

**(20:18) Never hurts to keep your options open**

(20:20) Oh, wow

(20:21) You’ve surprised me

**(20:22) Good**

(20:25) It is

(20:25) It’s very boo-worthy but I should really turn my phone off for the rest of the night

(20:26) Know that I’ll be thinking of your wonderful loaf of bread the whole time, though

**(20:27) Korra…**

(20:28) What? I’m guilty of nothing

**(20:30) Of course**

**(20:30) I’ll tell the loaf you love it**

(20:33) You’d do that for me?

**(20:34) I already have**

(20:35) If this were a cartoon I’d have hearts for eyes

(20:35) Anyway, no more giving in to distractions!!

(20:35) No matter how tempting it might be

**(20:37) You’re determined enough to pull it off**

(20:38) I love that you’re right about that

(20:38) We might not “really” know each other, whatever that means

(20:38) But we do know some parts of each other, and well, at that

(20:38) Bye for now!! To both of you (you and the loaf, now named Lady Breadington)

**(20:41) Well now I can’t eat the loaf anymore. I’ll have to keep it till it’s hard as stone. Could come in handy if someone tries to break in someday, I guess**

**(20:42) Bye, Korra**

**(20:42) Take care**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!! it would be very lovely of you to leave a comment (thank you for all the kudos and comments! hearts and stars and glitter @ all of you)
> 
> could the ex they're talking about be the same person?? dramatic gasp
> 
> sorry it took so long to update!! I haven't been home bc I was visiting people and occasionally being a disaster like when I laughed so hard at a bad movie I accidentally banged my head against the corner of this wooden thingy so that it got all bruised..... so everything took a bit longer than I wanted it to
> 
> take care, angels xx


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korra: regular  
> Asami: **bold**
> 
> this one probably also won't make sense without a glance at the timestamps

March 12th

(11:01) How’s Lady Breadington doing?

**(11:16) Since I can’t eat the loaf anymore since someone (you) named it…**

**(11:16) [Image]**

(11:24) Oh my god

(11:24) Is that…

(11:24) A face??

**(11:29) Well, I’d already cut off couple of slices before you named it, so I figured I might as well… adorn it, if you will**

**(11:30) Give it character**

(11:31) It’s high art

(11:31) I love it

**(11:33) I know I’m stealing your question, but are you laughing at me? I really can’t tell if you’re being serious or not**

(11:37) Nooo

(11:37) I really love it

(11:37) It’s the face Lady Breadington deserves

**(11:44) If I send you a loaf in the mail, are you going to name it and stare at it or eat it?**

**(11:44) Because if it’s the former then I might as well just get you a figurine or something of the sort**

(11:45) Eat it, of course!!

(11:45) Probably not name it

(11:46) No promises

**(11:50) You’ve already thought of a name, haven’t you?**

(11:51) No comment

**(11:54) Tell me?**

(11:56) Okay, fine

(11:56) It’s Lady Loafingsbury

(11:56) Obviously

**(11:57) Obviously**

(11:59) I see your sarcasm but I’m gonna choose to ignore it

**(12:00) As is your right.**

(12:02) Ugh, I’m so booored

(12:02) I’m waiting for this girl I’m in a class with

(12:03) (She’s the one I was trying to message when I typed in your number instead)

(12:03) And usually I’m the one running kind of late

(12:03) So I have no idea how to do this waiting-for-someone-to-show-up thing

(12:03) Hoooowwww

(12:03) Doooooo

(12:04) Peeeeeoooooopleeeeeee

(12:04) Doooooooo

(12:04) Thiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssss

(12:07) Asami

(12:07) Are you busy

(12:07) This is like the worst time for you to be busy for my boredom levels

(12:08) You know what????

(12:08) I’m gonna create a sentence out of my phone’s suggestions, starting with “obviously”

(12:08) Check it out

(12:09) Obviously though she should be done around o’clock or earlier probably not sure when you meant to be at the airport at least you know that if you feel like an elegant grandma the whole thing is so much more than minutes

**(12:12) That actually makes a weird amount of sense in a bizarre kind of way?**

**(12:12) Also, why did you ever type “elegant grandma”?**

**(12:13) And I was just going through the contents of my fridge and cupboards to figure out what to do for lunch**

(12:13) Why wouldn’t I type elegant grandma?

(12:14) But in this case it was because of the perfume the girl I’m meeting usually wears

**(12:15) Oh, I’ve never seen anyone grandma-aged be called a girl? But I was never sure where the cut-off point was, anyway. Maybe 30? Or is it 25? Technically way before then, probably… Also, who decides this?**

(12:15) Nooo, she’s younger than me

(12:16) It’s just the perfume that makes me think of elegant grandmas for some reason

(12:16) I told her that in a message

(12:16) And she thanked me and was really happy about it, actually

(12:16) Apparently she really loves her grandma and can’t wait to be more like her

(12:16) It was kinda cute

**(12:17) Oh**

**(12:17) That makes… way more sense, and now I feel a bit embarrassed**

(12:18) You have nothing to feel embarrassed about

(12:19) Except for not admitting to the fact that your desk is chaotic

(12:19) By the way, she messaged me and said she’s gonna be another ten minutes at least because of a family thing

(12:19) And everyone’s glaring at me for jiggling my leg but I can’t stop

(12:19) If you can think of anything distracting, I’ll love you forever

**(12:20) On it**

**(12:20) How about you ask me any question you want and I promise I’ll give you an honest answer?**

(12:20) Really?

**(12:21) I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.**

(12:21) I mean, there’s a lot I want to know about you, to be honest

(12:21) But also, I just can’t get this one question out of my head so I’m just gonna ask

(12:22) Do you think we’ll ever be able to teleport?

(12:22) Because I really, really wish we could

**(12:23) Hmm, that’s a tough question**

**(12:23) Also entirely different from what I was expecting?**

(12:23) I like surprising you

**(12:23) You’re good at it**

**(12:24) Okay, so there have been countless debates about this**

**(12:24) I really can’t say about “ever,” but it’s probably not all that likely in the foreseeable future**

**(12:25) Even if it were possible right now, people would freak out about it because what are the limits? If you could be anywhere at any time, society would have to change, and fundamentally, at that (it’s beyond time that it did, anyway), because things wouldn’t belong to any one person anymore since everyone could make use of anything at any point**

**(12:26) Would people even be comfortable sleeping anymore? Because if we don’t trust each other now, with actual locks on our doors, imagine what it would be like if there was no way to stop anyone from coming and going from anywhere**

**(12:27) If you were thinking more of teleportation stations of sorts that would be set up at certain points, then it would probably be a lot like flying, with passport controls and a queue and all that**

**(12:27) But yeah, I don’t think we’re close to that kind of technology**

**(12:28) Because you’d have to take someone apart and put them back together again exactly the same way for people to actually be interested in it**

**(12:28) And atoms and all that, that’s so complex (from our current point of view)**

**(12:28) It would be very hard to get right**

(12:29) Uh… What have I unleashed

(12:30) Asami

(12:30) I love that you think things through like that

(12:30) I really do

(12:30) But… what?

**(12:31) Too much?**

(12:31) Just a bit

(12:31) I feel like you just wrote a new dystopia novel where the premise is the universal ability to teleport

(12:32) Which you totally should

(12:32) I’d buy it and watch the made-for-TV two-parter

(12:32) But also…

(12:32) No, actually I’ve forgotten what I was gonna criticise

(12:32) You’re just being cute, once again

**(12:33) Potentially writing about a dystopian world is cute?**

**(12:33) We must subscribe to different definitions of the word**

(12:34) I don’t know

(12:34) There’s a lot I like about you

(12:34) And find cute about you

(12:34) That’s all

**(12:35) Oh**

(12:35) Okay, she’s here!!

(12:35) Talk to you later

(12:35) Or tomorrow, maybe

(12:35) Today’s gonna be really busy

**(12:36) Okay**

**(23:01) I know you’re probably already asleep after your busy day, but I just want you to know**

**(23:03) Okay, maybe it’ll be easier to send it word for word**

**(23:04) There’s**

**(23:04) A**

**(23:04) Lot**

**(23:05) Nope, not easier at all**

**(23:18) There’s a lot I like about you, too.**

**(23:20) That’s it, really. All I wanted to say.**

**(23:43) You know how I said earlier today that I really couldn’t tell if you were being serious or not?**

**(23:44) Well, sometimes I’m also not sure if you’re flirting or not**

**(23:44) Maybe you just like joking around and being playful with people you talk to, which I totally understand**

**(23:44) But then sometimes? It really feels like flirting**

**(23:44) And I just want to make sure I’m not totally misreading it**

**(23:57) Okay, I hope I didn’t just ruin this and make you super uncomfortable**

**(23:57) I’m going to go to bed now**

**(23:58) So… yeah. Hope you sleep well**

 

March 13th

**(14:32) I’m sorry**

**(14:33) It’s totally okay if you don’t want to talk to me anymore**

**(14:33) I understand**

**(14:33) I really wish you all the best, and I’m certain I’ll read about your veterinary accomplishments in the paper someday**

**(14:41) Take care, Korra**

 

March 14th

(15:03) I’m so mad at the universe

(15:03) What is its problem with me?

(15:03) So, two days ago, in the afternoon, my phone suddenly decides it’s gonna stop working

(15:03) Which, fair enough, it hasn’t had anything resembling a vacation since I got it

(15:03) But then!

(15:03) The ancient back-up phone which I had before this one won’t turn on, either

(15:04) So I’m stuck with no phone at all, which, in this day and age, is just cruel

(15:04) And everyone I ask either traded in their old phones for a discount on their new one or gave it to someone else

(15:04) Until!

(15:04) The friend of a friend of a friend… I’ll stop there, I don’t even know how I know that guy myself at this point

(15:05) Tells me he still has one

(15:05) Because, and get this:

(15:05) He’s diagnosed himself with what he calls “Mustus-Novus-Phonus-Havimus”

(15:05) (Yeah… I know…)

(15:05) And gets a new one every year

(15:05) (Sometimes more often than that? I have no idea how he can afford that because all he ever seems to do is sit around in coffee houses but I think he’s related to some kind of royalty or a billionaire or something)

(15:06) So he gives me his “old” one

(15:06) (Which is actually newer than mine that just died (RIP))

(15:06) Because he’s heard, via the friend of a friend of a…

(15:06) (You get the picture)

(15:06) That I need a new phone

(15:07) So… voilà

(15:07) That’s the incredibly, needlessly complicated explanation of why I didn’t reply to your messages

(15:07) And how I finally got a functioning phone again for free

(15:07) (I don’t think he knows how much phones can be worth? He just wanted a coffee for it, but the real payment was sitting there and listening to him talk about himself for an hour… Ugh, is all I’ll say, because he did give me a phone for free and I really appreciate that)

(15:10) And you didn’t make me uncomfortable at all

(15:10) You never have

(15:11) Apart from the very first time we talked, when I had no idea who you were

(15:11) That feels like it was so long ago??

(15:11) But it really wasn’t

(18:24) Asami…

(18:24) Are you okay?

(20:51) Busy day?

 

March 15th

(08:08) Okay, I’m really starting to worry now

(08:08) Is that weird?

(08:09) I don’t know

(08:09) But I’m worried

(08:09) If your phone somehow also died then it’s settled:

(08:09) The universe really does have a bone to pick with me

(09:42) You’re fine, right?

(09:42) Just busy?

(17:36) Asamiii

(17:36) I know we’ve never met and all that

(17:36) But I do care about you

(17:36) And I’m starting to get really worried

(17:37) Would it be weird if I tried calling you?

(19:23) Okay, I just did

(19:23) And either your phone is turned off or you couldn’t accept my call or you didn’t want to or maybe you’ve changed numbers

(19:23) But no, then the message would be different

(19:24) And would these messages even go through?

(19:24) I’d keyboard smash a random number to find out

(19:24) But with my track record it’d be taken and I’d start talking to someone who might this time actually turn out to be a serial killer

(19:24) So I’m not taking any chances

(19:28) Anyway… Please contact me as soon as you can

(22:51) I’m trying to sleep but I can’t

(22:51) Can you believe?

(22:51) That hasn’t happened to me in a very long time

(22:52) Since after my accident, actually

(22:52) Well after it, if I’m being honest

(22:52) I was in a pretty bad place for a considerable amount of time

(22:52) I have no idea why I’m talking about that now

(22:55) I really hope you’re okay

 

March 16th

**(05:05) Oh, Korra, I’m so sorry**

**(05:05) After messaging you three days ago, I checked my phone so often to see if you’d responded that I finally decided to turn it off for a while for the sake of my sanity**

**(05:06) I just couldn’t withstand the temptation to check it, to the point where I got absolutely nothing done**

**(05:06) And I thought… Well, I thought that this was over. That you didn’t want to talk to me anymore**

**(05:09) I admit it hurt me more than I expected.**

**(05:10) I’m sorry for making you worry**

(06:27) Asami!!!!!!!

(06:27) You’re okay!!!!

(06:27) And breaking my heart again in the early hours of the morning!!

(06:28) I blame the universe for killing off my phone unexpectedly before its time

(06:28) No, actually, I blame the companies that don’t build things to last anymore on purpose so that we have to stuff more money into their overflowing pockets

(06:29) I’m so relieved, I just…

(06:29) I was really worried

(06:29) And I’m just really relieved you’re alright

(06:29) Really, ridiculously relieved

**(06:30) Oh, I didn’t expect you to be up so early**

(06:30) Couldn’t really sleep well

**(06:31) I’m sorry…**

(06:31) No!!

(06:31) Don’t apologise

(06:31) It’s not your fault

**(06:32) But I’m the reason for it**

(06:32) Who said that?

**(06:32) …You did. Last night**

(06:33) Alright, fine, I was hoping you’d forgotten about that

**(06:33) I only just read it**

(06:33) Curse your perfect engineer’s memory

(06:33) Oh, right

(06:33) Forgot about that

**(06:34) I can’t believe that, for once, my fingers were too fast for you**

**(06:34) How the tables have turned**

(06:35) I’m barely awake and running on less than five hours of sleep

(06:35) My body isn’t used to that

**(06:35) Excuses…**

(06:36) Fine, you were faster than me for once

(06:36) Boo

(06:36) Are you happy now?

**(06:37) Moderately**

**(06:37) You just boo-ed me. Again.**

(06:38) It’s my thing

(06:38) And I hope to make it A thing in general

(06:38) Is it catching on?

**(06:39) Do you think this is weird?**

(06:39) What, boo-ing?

**(06:40) How much we’ve grown to care about each other, just like that, in so short a time, without ever actually meeting face-to-face?**

(06:40) Ha!

(06:40) Too fast, once again

(06:40) I’ve re-claimed my title

(06:41) Also, I mean

(06:41) No

(06:41) I don’t think it’s weird

(06:41) It’s just…

(06:42) Some people you spend ages with but you just don’t really connect with them

(06:42) You don’t feel close

(06:42) That tugging feeling in your chest, like… I don’t know

(06:42) Like two souls finding each other, and pulling you closer together, because you just click

(06:43) Yikes, I think my parents have rubbed off on me more than I thought

(06:43) Which I should have expected, really

**(06:44) And you say you weren’t good at English**

(06:44) Never said that

(06:44) Just said it wasn’t my best subject

(06:44) But I wasn’t half bad

(06:44) Mostly Bs, some Cs because I was often distracted, some As, on one memorable occasion, an A+

(06:45) Do you think it’s weird?

**(06:48) The thing is, I don’t either. And that… I don’t know what to do with that, because my brain is saying one thing, like, it’s too soon, it’s too much, you must be imagining it, etc., but my emotions are saying another, that I do simply feel that close to you, even though, technically, my brain is what makes me feel emotions in the first place, I guess, so maybe they do agree, and… Okay, I’m just going to send this now, before I go on forever**

(06:49) Wow

**(06:49) Yeah**

(06:50) You think too much

**(06:50) Yeah**

(06:50) And I’m ridiculously fond of you

**(06:51) Oh**

**(06:51) I’m fond of you too**

(06:52) Glad we’ve established that

(06:52) I’m gonna try to catch some more sleep because my first class doesn’t start till 11

(06:52) And I don’t wanna walk around like a zombie all day

(06:53) I’d never hear the end of it

(06:53) My friends would imitate my movements for months, or even years

(06:53) And say, “Remember that time Korra was a zombie?”

(06:53) No, thanks

**(06:54) Hope you sleep well**

**(06:55) I should actually probably turn my phone off for the day…**

**(06:55) I have this deadline tomorrow and I’m still not done**

**(06:55) So I have to minimise any possible distractions**

(06:56) I just got you back, only to lose you again so soon…

(06:56) Sad violin music is the soundtrack of this scene in my head, by the way

**(06:57) Ha, ha**

**(06:57) Go back to sleep, Korra**

**(06:57) And have a great day**

**(06:58) I’ll talk to you tomorrow**

(06:58) You too, Asami

(06:59) I’m gonna miss talking to you today

**(07:00) Has anyone ever told you you’re a sap?**

(07:01) …No comment

**(07:01) A cute one**

(07:01) Oh?

(07:01) Tell me more

**(07:02) Sleep**

(07:02) You should know that I’m stubborn

(07:02) And contrary, sometimes

(07:02) So you telling me to sleep just makes me not want to do it

**(07:05) Noted**

**(07:05) But you should sleep anyway**

**(07:11) You’re already asleep, aren’t you**

**(07:11) Sleep well, Korra**

**(07:11) I’m really glad we’re talking again**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!! it would be very lovely of you to leave a comment (again, as always, lots of love to the commenters and kudos-ers, you always make my day brighter!)
> 
> you know, I thought about ending this at a point where it was still all up in the air so I could post it yesterday, but then I thought, No!! no, I want this to be cute and sweet and I never want anyone to leave reading this without feeling warmth or at least vague amusement (though I'm sure there are some who read this and think, "why am I still reading this?? she doesn't get the characters at all" which is fair enough tbh and just how these things go) I just always wanna end this on a positive note
> 
> don't worry, Asami didn't miss the fact that Korra didn't reply to her flirting question
> 
> take care, angels ♥


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korra: regular  
> Asami: **bold**

March 17th

**(12:32) Done!**

(12:45) Yes!!

(12:45) Now you can talk to me again!!

(12:46) And are free of the crushing weight of a looming deadline, of course

**(12:52) Nice save**

(13:00) Thanks

(13:00) By the way…

**(13:13) Yes?**

**(13:13) You know you can just tell me without me asking about it first**

(13:15) Where’s the fun in that?

(13:15) Anyway, it just occurred to me that if I really want you to send me a loaf of bread, then I’m gonna have to give you my address to send it to

**(13:17) Yes, that is generally how mailing things works**

(13:18) You don’t have to do that every time I say something obvious

**(13:19) Where would be the fun in that?**

(13:20) Touché

(13:20) (!!!!!! Twice in less than two weeks!! You, my dear Asami, are a wellspring of touché opportunities)

**(13:24) Happy to provide**

(13:26) I just spat out some orange juice all over my notes

(13:26) I hope you’re happy

(13:26) [Image]

(13:27) See?

(13:27) You shouldn’t make me snort while I’m drinking

(13:27) Everyone in my vicinity agrees

(13:27) Or they would, if they weren’t so busy glaring at me (again)

**(13:31) Is all of that your handwriting?**

(13:33) Yeah

(13:33) I know it looks really different sometimes

(13:33) It depends on numerous factors

(13:33) For example: how tired I am, how fast I have to write, if I’m able to make myself focus, how jittery I’m feeling, etc.

(13:34) Funnily enough, my grades usually depend on that, too

(13:34) Guess there’s a correlation

(13:34) Of course, some teachers let how they feel about you influence how they grade you

(13:34) And they take care to do it in a way you can’t really prove

(13:35) It’s like they had to take a class called “How to Grade Your Students’ Personalities and How to Subtly Let That Influence Your Grading Without Anyone Being Able to Call You Out on It” or something

**(13:37) That is so true?**

**(13:37) Apart from the teachers who couldn’t care less about their pupils and barely remember their names**

**(13:37) My PE teacher hated me**

**(13:38) I could almost see the steam coming out of her ears when I did well at the ridiculous challenges she came up with to torment us**

**(13:39) I’m convinced that they check your meanness levels when you want to become a PE teacher, and if they’re below 70%, they don’t let you do it**

(13:40) I actually really liked my PE teacher

(13:40) But… I get where you’re coming from

(13:40) For me, it was my Geography teacher who really couldn’t stand me

(13:40) He said I derailed the conversation too often

(13:41) Also, my Physics teacher

(13:41) And maybe my Maths teacher, but only because I was so shockingly bad at the subject

**(13:44) I never thought Maths was much of a challenge? You just remember a formula and the situations in which you apply it**

**(13:45) It always confused me when people couldn’t solve basically the same problem as we’d solved in class only because the wording of the problem was different**

(13:46) I would have been very confusing to you, then

(13:46) Sometimes I couldn’t solve a problem even if it was worded almost exactly the same as one I’d seen solved before

**(13:47) How come?**

(13:49) I don’t know

(13:49) I guess it’s that there’s nothing creative or spontaneous about Maths

(13:49) It’s all very calculated

(13:50) (That’s funny, okay)

(13:50) There’s a problem and there’s a solution and there’s only one way to get there

(13:50) Boo, you know?

(13:50) Yes, logical connections and all that, blah, blah

(13:50) But schools really under-appreciate out-of-the-box thinking

(13:51) You can quote me on that

(13:51) (Please do)

**(13:53) “Schools really under-appreciate out-of-the-box thinking.” – Korra**

**(13:53) Happy?**

(13:54) Very

(13:54) Wait, I was gonna say something until I derailed my own train of thought with the whole school thing

(13:54) Maybe that teacher had a point…

(13:54) Hang on, I’m gonna scroll up

**(13:55) Thank you for announcing your actions**

(14:01) You’re welcome

**(14:02) You got caught up in reading our messages again, didn’t you?**

(14:02) What’s that?

(14:02) I can’t hear you

**(14:03) That’s because I’m not speaking**

(14:03) Anyway, I remembered what I was gonna say

(14:03) If I live too far away and postage is too expensive, you don’t have to send me the loaf

(14:03) I get the feeling we’re in the same time zone, though?

(14:04) Which doesn’t mean much

(14:04) But maybe we’re closer than we think

(14:04) Then you could bring me the loaf in person

(14:04) Or I could come pick it up

(14:05) Maybe we’ve walked past each other on the street??

(14:05) And we never knew

**(14:11) You want to meet?**

(14:12) I mean

(14:12) I’m not entirely opposed to the idea

(14:12) It’d only be practical, really, if we do live close

**(14:14) We could**

**(14:14) Maybe**

(14:14) Yes!!!!

(14:15) A “maybe” was all I was looking for

(14:15) No pressure

**(14:17) I feel like you’d be a very wonderful person to have in one’s life**

(14:18) Oh my god

(14:18) Help???

**(14:19) Korra?**

(14:19) You can’t just say stuff like that!!!!

(14:20) Give me 5-6 business days advance warning

(14:20) I slammed my hand on the table too hard because you made me feel too much

(14:20) And now it feels weirdly numb but also like its senses have been heightened?

(14:20) It has become… Super Hand

**(14:21) You know that sounds perverted, right?**

(14:22) Why is that always where your thoughts go??

**(14:22) “Always”**

(14:23) First with my dream, now this

(14:23) Super Hand is a perfectly fine descriptor of a hand with superpowers

(14:23) It’s a hand… that’s super

(14:23) Duh

**(14:24) Okay**

(14:25) Boo

**(14:26) What’s that for? I said okay**

(14:26) Yeah, but you said that to move on from the topic

(14:26) Not because you agree

**(14:28) Do you have a picture of me in your head? What you think I look like, I mean**

(14:29) Really obvious attempt at changing the topic

(14:29) But I’ll allow it

(14:29) More like a vague impression of what you might look like

(14:30) What about you?

**(14:30) Not really**

**(14:30) It’s more of a feeling that I associate with you?**

**(14:31) I think I’d feel it if I ever saw you**

(14:31) A good feeling?

**(14:33) A “you” feeling**

**(14:33) I don’t really know how to describe it**

**(14:33) But I like it, yes**

(14:33) If giddiness could melt people, I’d be a puddle right now

(14:36) Asami

**(14:39) Yes?**

(14:40) Even if it turns out we’re not close at all, do you think you’d consider meeting me anyway?

(14:40) Someday!!

(14:40) Not talking about right now

(14:41) But… someday

**(14:41) Yeah**

(14:41) Really??

**(14:42) I can’t speak for future me, but present me’s answer is very clear**

**(14:42) It’s a yes**

(14:43) !!!!!!

(14:43) I’m really happy

(14:43) This even makes up for the fact that my least favourite class is starting in a couple of minutes

(14:44) Talk to you later?

**(14:44) Yes**

(18:08) You’d think that if you left the shower temperature exactly the same, it’d be perfect the next time you take one

(18:09) But no

(18:09) Why would it be?

(18:09) Maybe if you waited like 10 minutes to get in

(18:09) But that’d be a colossal waste of water

(18:09) Okay, sometimes the temperature’s fine, but most of the time it’s not

(18:10) Maybe it’s just that our body temperature always fluctuates slightly so our ideal water temperature changes all the time

(18:10) What do you think?

(18:10) I’d ask a professor

(18:10) But some have taken to pretending they don’t see me when I raise my hand

(18:11) Just because you completely derail the lesson once (or twice), they hold that over your head forever

(18:11) (Yes, I know, the Geography teacher way back might really have had a point)

(18:11) I’m just naturally charismatic, thank you very much

(18:11) And interesting

(18:12) I can’t help it if people would rather talk about whatever’s going through my head than the dull stuff the professors read off a screen

**(18:18) I’ve never thought about the shower temperature thing**

**(18:18) I actually think it’s kind of fun to figure out the right temperature?**

**(18:18) But I also almost always get it right on the first try**

(18:19) How???????

(18:20) How?????????????

(18:20) How??

(18:20) ?

**(18:24) I don’t know, I’ve just got a feel for how much I have to turn the handle**

(18:24) Lend me your powers?

(18:24) I need this shower to go fast so I won’t be late

(18:25) I don’t have time to jump out of the way of the spray and twist the handle 1,000 times till it’s finally right today

**(18:26) If you’re running late, why are you messaging me?**

(18:26) …

(18:26) Point taken

(18:26) No, touché!!

(18:27) (!!!!!!! Again!!!!! Are you doing this on purpose? To make me happy?)

**(18:28) Korra**

(18:30) Right

(18:30) Gonna go get ready now

(18:30) Wish me luck

(18:51) Victory

(18:51) One to zero for me

(18:52) Also, you didn’t wish me luck

(18:52) Boo

**(18:55) You won the gruesome fight against the temperature of the water? Congratulations**

(18:56) You know what?

(18:56) I’m just gonna ignore the sarcasm and take that at face value

(18:57) Because I want to

(18:57) So, thanks

(19:02) Okay, I’m meeting up with my friends now, got to go

(19:03) I won’t make it on time but I don’t think they expect me to

(19:03) They know me too well

**(19:04) Have a great time with your friends**

(19:05) What about you?

(19:05) Any big plans for the evening?

**(19:07) I wouldn’t call them big, but I’m going to the movies**

(19:08) Oh, like on a date?

**(19:08) No**

**(19:09) I don’t even know what I’m going to watch yet. I plan on just going there and picking the movie that seems the least terrible**

(19:10) Oh, okay

(19:10) Solid plan

(19:10) You have a great time too, then

(19:11) If they’re all bad, just pick the one that seems terrible in an unintentionally funny way, at least

(19:11) Then you can laugh and work further at prolonging your lifespan

**(19:13) Sage advice, thank you**

(19:15) I have my moments

**(19:16) Don’t you have to go meet your friends?**

(19:16) Damn

**(19:17) Bye, Korra**

**(19:17) Have fun**

March 18th

(11:24) I told my friends about you yesterday

(11:24) A mistake

(11:24) They knew I’d been messaging someone new

(11:24) But I never really talked about it

(11:25) And now that they have the smallest amount of information, they won’t let it go and want more

(11:25) They said, and I quote, “Stop hoarding all the things you know about her like a dragon with its gold”

(11:25) Can you believe?

(11:26) And then they

(11:26) Never mind

(11:26) Ignore that

(11:26) Didn’t mean to send it

**(11:30) Then they what?**

(11:31) Nothing

(11:31) Moving on

(11:32) Have you told anyone about me?

(11:32) That one weird professor who stole your phone that one time doesn’t count

**(11:35) Not really**

(11:39) I don’t know if I should be offended or not

(11:39) Not really in a “I don’t care enough about this” kind of way or in a “this is too precious to me to share with just anyone” kind of way

**(11:41) More in a “I don’t really talk to anyone about private stuff like that” kind of way**

**(11:42) I do know quite a few people, but we either only have one specific thing in common and always talk about/do that, or we mostly talk about engineering-related things**

**(11:42) And do not say that’s sad, because it’s my prerogative whether to feel sad about that or not, and I don’t**

**(11:43) The only person I have the kind of relationship with where I would tell them about something like this… is probably you**

**(11:43) And you already know, so, yeah**

(11:46) I can’t imagine that

(11:46) I think I would implode if I couldn’t talk to people about stuff

**(11:48) It’s not that I couldn’t. I simply choose not to**

(11:49) Okay

(11:49) I guess we’re just different in that way

(11:50) It’s easy for me to get to know people and talk about things (anything, really, within reason) with them

**(11:54) I’ve noticed**

**(11:54) You managed with me**

(11:57) Is that hard?

**(11:59) No**

**(12:00) But it’s definitely unprecedented in this kind of way**

(12:02) I’m flattered

**(12:05) You should be**

(12:06) Gay

(12:06) No, gay of course

(12:06) Gah!!!!!

(12:06) That’s what I meant, gay!!

(12:06) Nooo

(12:07) Damn autocorrect

(12:07) Gah gah gah

(12:07) Trying to make this new phone remember the word

(12:07) Anyway… You were saying?

**(12:08) You’re adorable**

(12:09) Gay

**(12:11) Gah?**

(12:11) Does it matter?

**(12:12) Not really**

(12:12) Good

**(12:12) Okay**

**(12:13) Got to go now, I’m meeting up with some other engineering PhD students for lunch to commiserate**

(12:15) Sounds fun

(12:15) I have a lot of assignments to work on, ugh

**(12:16) Thank you**

**(12:16) Good luck**

(22:13) Have you ever been in love?

**(22:14) Um**

**(22:14) Where is this coming from?**

(22:18) Not sure

(22:18) One of my friends is an ex of mine

(22:18) And he’s with someone now and I don’t mind at all

**(22:20) That doesn’t necessarily mean that you never loved him**

**(22:20) You could have just moved on**

(22:21) No, I know I did, at the time

(22:21) But I really can’t imagine it now

(22:21) At all

(22:22) And it just got me thinking about how we change

(22:22) Constantly

(22:22) And someone or something you loved at some point in your life…

(22:22) It would probably be impossible to love them the same way or at all at another point

(22:22) I don’t know

(22:23) I guess I’m wondering about all this because everyone always talks about how love is eternal and all that

**(22:25) I think there are many different kinds of love**

**(22:25) And then there are many things that people call love which really aren’t**

**(22:25) I don’t know if I’ve ever really, truly been in love**

**(22:26) I definitely thought I was at the time**

**(22:26) People say you can’t miss it when it happens to you, but I’m just not sure**

**(22:26) My last relationship ended when the guy I was dating met someone else**

**(22:26) I appreciated the honesty about it and all that? (Though it should really be a given, unfortunately, it isn’t)**

**(22:27) But he was the one who initiated things in the first place, so it all felt a bit weird**

**(22:27) As a teenager, I dated this girl at summer camp (yes, I am a walking cliché, thank you), and I was so convinced she was The One (you know how everything feels so final as a teenager. Also, everyone was a big fan of The Matrix at that camp?)**

**(22:28) But after, she never called or emailed me, and never responded when I tried to contact her**

**(22:28) Maybe her contact information was fake, come to think of it**

**(22:28) It’s weird how sometimes something can mean so much to you, but to the other person it’s nothing special**

**(22:29) And sometimes it’s the other way around**

**(22:29) I don’t know**

**(22:29) Emotions are weird**

(22:31) Yeah

(22:31) Though “a jumbled mess” is the descriptor I’d go for

(22:31) A couple years ago, a friend and I decided to try dating because we were the only girls we knew who also liked girls

(22:32) But that was such a disaster I actually have to laugh now, thinking back

(22:32) Some relationships are just meant to stay platonic

(22:32) And my last relationship, with that guy…

(22:32) By the end, we fought so often

(22:32) To the point we didn’t even remember what we liked about each other in the first place

(22:33) How do things get that bad when you do actually care about each other a lot?

(22:33) I’m really not sure

(22:33) Sometimes, in this society, it’s hard not to crave romantic love, I guess

(22:33) Do you ever feel that way?

(22:33) Do you think that’s a yearning we’re just born with, or is it trained into us by the media?

**(22:35) I wish I knew**

**(22:35) I don’t think everyone feels it**

(22:35) Do you?

**(22:36) I do, sometimes**

**(22:36) But those kinds of thoughts are a slippery slope**

(22:39) What do you mean?

**(22:42) “When xyz happens, I’ll feel so much better”**

**(22:42) Things like that**

**(22:42) Projecting the solution to all your problems onto one single thing**

**(22:43) Because, in the end, I think that the yearning is in part to love and be loved, which is entirely human, but also just to feel… better, less empty, more complete, like you have a purpose, all those things**

**(22:43) And that’s something that always has to start with yourself if you want it to be in any way true and lasting**

(22:44) Yeah, that’s true, of course

(22:44) But sometimes the yearning feels less like “it’ll solve everything” and more like “we’re in this together”

(22:44) Not that you’re less on your own or anything

(22:45) But like contentment + contentment = double the contentment

(22:45) And, just, support

(22:45) Or something

(22:45) I think I’m too tired to talk about this

(22:46) Fair warning: I might fall asleep any second now

**(22:46) I get it now**

(22:47) ?

**(22:48) The “feeling more comfortable sharing things after turning the lights off” sleepover phenomenon**

(22:49) !!!!!!!!!

(22:49) You make you so happy sometimes that I think it’s illegal

**(22:50) I could say the same to you**

(22:50) Are you?

(22:50) Saying the same to me, that is

**(22:51) I am**

(22:51) You know what really amazes me?

**(22:52) What?**

(22:52) You actually make me not want to sleep

(22:52) So I can talk to you longer

(22:52) How do you do it?

**(22:55) What was that you said yesterday? “I’m just naturally charismatic, thank you very much. And interesting.”**

(22:56) Uhh… My brain kind of short-circuits when you quote my own words back at me

(22:56) Also, you found that really fast

**(22:57) I blame the power of the sleepover phenomenon for why I’m telling you this, but… I might have known I could use that someday and copied it into my notes so I could find it again more easily**

(22:58) You know what?

(22:58) I can tell how tired I am because I don’t even want to try to make fun of you

(22:58) I just find that cute

(22:59) I should really sleep now

(22:59) You should, too

(22:59) Don’t stay up too late, Asami

(22:59) Unless it’s to make bread

(23:00) That’s an honourable pursuit

**(23:00) Sleep well, Korra**

**(23:00) No promises**

**(23:01) I kind of gave up on my sleeping schedule ages ago**

**(23:01) But I can try, today at least**

**(23:01) Because you asked me to**

**(23:01) Did you know that it’s very hard to say no to you?**

**(23:02) Maybe you shouldn’t know**

**(23:02) Some powers are best wielded when the user remains oblivious of them**

**(23:05) And you’re asleep**

**(23:05) Since we’re talking about things that amaze us, I don’t think that’ll ever cease to amaze me, how fast you can fall asleep**

**(23:08) Thanks for sharing so much with me today. Trusting me with all that**

**(23:08) It truly means a lot**

**(23:13) You’re the only person I’ve told most of those things**

**(23:13) I guess that means… you’re special to me**

**(23:13) Yes, that rings true**

**(23:13) You’re special to me, Korra**

**(23:13) Good night**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!! it would be very lovely of you to leave a comment (as always, thank you to the angels who've commented and to everyone who's given this story kudos...... you make me smile so much!!)
> 
> you know, it's really funny, because as I was writing the last parts of the chapter, my time moved along with their timestamps haha, and then the editing took a while, I think I was too tired for it..... I just really wanted to get this done today..... which basically means it's time to sleep now, so bye and take care! hope the chapter makes sense omg


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korra: regular  
> Asami: **bold ******

March 19th

(07:55) Asami

(07:55) You’ve got to stop doing things like that to my heart in the early hours of the morning

(07:55) It takes at least 3-4 hours till I’m equipped to handle that level of emotions

(07:55) I.e. awake enough

**(07:57) I mostly do it during the late hours of the night**

**(07:58) You just tend to already be asleep**

(08:00) Boo

(08:00) Also

(08:01) You’re special to me too

(08:01) So, there

(08:01) And…

(08:01) About what you asked all those days ago

(08:01) (How has it been a week since then??)

(08:02) I don’t know if you noticed that I never answered

(08:02) Because of all the… well, drama, I guess you could call it

(08:02) But, yeah

(08:02) It is flirting

**(08:09) I noticed that you never answered. I assumed that meant you didn’t want to talk about it so I didn’t want to bring it up again**

**(08:09) Thank you for answering after all**

(08:13) You don’t mind?

(08:13) About the flirting

**(08:16) I don’t**

(08:17) Oh

(08:17) Good

(10:35) I have a suggestion

**(10:41) Sounds ominous**

(10:44) It’s not

**(10:56) Okay, what is it?**

(11:01) What if…

(11:01) We called each other sometime

**(11:18) What do you mean?**

(11:20) On the phone

**(11:26) That wasn’t what I needed clarification on**

(11:30) Okay

(11:30) Enlighten me

(11:31) I am not, in fact, actually a mind reader

(11:31) If you can believe it

**(11:37) I believe it**

**(11:38) I meant… Why?**

(11:39) You see how I didn’t get that from “What do you mean?”, though, don’t you?

**(11:43) My full, unambiguous question: Why do you want us to talk on the phone?**

(11:49) I don’t know

(11:49) I want to know what your voice sounds like

(11:49) And two days ago, we talked about maybe meeting in person someday

(11:50) I figured this was the next step

(11:50) We don’t have to, of course

(11:50) Just thought I’d mention the possibility

**(11:55) Sorry, I have this meeting and I really have to go**

**(11:55) I’ll message you in a couple of hours and we can talk about this**

(11:56) Okay

(14:32) So

(14:32) In your absence I’ve come up with several possibilities as to why you might have reservations about talking on the phone

(14:33) A) You don’t have a lot of practice with phone calls and feel unsure about them

(14:33) B) You can’t stand the way your voice sounds in recordings

(14:33) C) You just don’t want to talk to me that way

(14:33) D) You have a never-seen-before phone allergy

(14:34) I could come up with more

(14:34) But I’m gonna stop there

(14:34) Tell me if any of the options is right

**(15:05) You forgot the simplest one: That I’m not at all who I said I am and you’d find that out if we talked**

(15:11) I didn’t even consider that

(15:11) Because I know it’s not true

(15:11) Even a “Sixth Sense” scenario is more likely where you’ve been a ghost all along

**(15:15) That’s… actually really touching**

**(15:15) My answer: none of the above**

**(15:15) I don’t know, it’s…**

**(15:15) I like the way things are now, and if we call each other, we risk the status quo changing**

(15:18) How?

(15:18) It’s a phone call

(15:18) We’d just say what we’d usually type instead

**(15:22) I know you’re right**

**(15:22) I don’t know**

**(15:23) Maybe it feels so close to actually meeting that it intimidates me a bit. And I’m not usually easily intimidated**

**(15:23) It’s not that I don’t want it**

**(15:23) I just have no idea how to prepare for it, or how it would go**

(15:30) If we were gonna Skype, that’d be a lot more like actually meeting

(15:30) A phone call is just messages delivered verbally and with inflection

(15:30) We wouldn’t see each other’s faces or anything

(15:30) And we really don’t have to do this if you don’t feel comfortable with it

(15:31) It’s always 100% okay for you to say no to something, and I won’t ever be mad about that

(15:31) I hope you know that

**(15:36) I do, and it’s the same for me too**

**(15:36) By the way, speaking of faces: You want to hear my voice but not know what I look like?**

(15:39) I mean…

(15:39) If you’re offering to send a picture of you…

(15:39) I wouldn’t say no

(15:39) But, yeah

(15:39) I just want on to talk on the phone

(15:39) For now

**(15:45) Okay**

**(15:45) Let’s do it.**

(15:46) Really???

**(15:51) Yes**

(15:57) When?

**(16:00) Tonight?**

(16:04) Sounds good

**(16:05) Okay**

(16:06) Okay

(16:06) Good

**(16:08) Are you nervous?**

(16:11) More excited

(16:12) Maybe a teeny tiny bit nervous

(16:12) But in a good way

**(16:15) Me too**

**(16:15) But with those two emotions flipped**

**(16:16) I’m not usually nervous, I don’t…**

**(16:16) Everything about this entire thing with you is absolutely new to me**

(16:19) Is it bad that that kind of makes me happy?

(16:19) And, likewise

**(16:22) It’s not bad**

**(16:22) And I feel like you’re handling all of it a lot better than I am, to be honest**

(16:23) I mean…

(16:23) I’m really stubborn, yes

(16:23) But I can also be adaptable

(16:24) I’ve just kind of accepted this whole situation as something new to me

(16:24) And decided to make the best of it

**(16:27) It’s ironic because dealing with and coming up with new things is a huge part of what I do/want to be doing as an engineer**

**(16:28) I like figuring things out and I like finding new angles to look at old things to maybe improve them or expand on them**

**(16:29) But with this… It’s completely unpredictable**

**(16:29) I would have never imagined that this could be a scenario in which to meet someone**

(16:31) But isn’t the fact that it’s unpredictable one of the things that’s so great about it?

**(16:33) Yes**

**(16:33) And yet, it’s also a little like climbing a rock wall, with all the adrenaline that comes with never being 100% sure your foot won’t slip off the foothold you find**

(16:36) See, for me that’s not an “and yet” but just an “and”

(16:36) I love that

**(16:40) You should go bungee jumping**

(16:42) Who says I haven’t already been?

**(16:45) Have you?**

(16:46) Not yet

(16:46) But it’s on my bucket list

**(16:49) Ah, the list with the Guinness Book of Records thing**

(16:51) Yeah, that’s number 23

**(16:51) And bungee jumping?**

(16:52) That’s sub-section B of number 5

(16:52) Don’t ask

(16:52) Or do

(16:52) But it would take pretty long to explain

(16:53) And I kinda feel too lazy to type it all out

(16:53) I would, though

(16:53) If you want to know

**(16:55) That’s okay**

(16:58) So…

**(17:01) Yes?**

(17:04) Who’s gonna call who?

(17:04) Technically whom, I guess, because of the “him/her/them” thing

(17:05) But I’m not using that

(17:05) It’d make me sound like I’m someone who sips tea from tiny cups and sticks my finger out while drinking it

(17:05) And I’m certainly… not that

**(17:07) You should call me, since it was your idea**

**(17:07) Does that sound fair?**

(17:08) Yeah

(17:08) That’s fair

(17:09) I’ll do it

**(17:12) Okay**

(17:16) When, exactly?

(17:17) Tonight as in in two hours or in three or four or…?

**(17:20) When would you prefer?**

(17:23) I asked you first

**(17:24) Really? We’re doing that?**

(17:27) Yeah

**(17:28) In two hours sounds good**

(17:32) !!!!!!!

(17:32) Okay

(17:32) I’ll message you before I call

(17:33) To see if it’s a good time

**(17:38) Okay**

**(17:38) Do you think it’ll be awkward?**

(17:41) Most likely

(17:41) But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing

**(17:44) Okay**

(17:46) Okay

**(17:50) We’re so eloquent today**

(17:52) We are, aren’t we?

(17:52) I can’t wait to talk to you

(17:52) Actually, with our voices

(17:53) Where you hear me say my words and I hear you say yours

**(17:55) I think it’ll be weird**

(17:55) Boo

(17:56) This is a no-pessimism zone

(17:56) It’ll be amazing, that’s what it’ll be

(17:56) Because, taken individually, we’re already pretty amazing

(17:56) But, added together, our amazingness levels are off the charts

**(17:57) Sometimes, you really make me laugh**

(17:59) Maybe I’ll get to hear that laugh

(18:00) Soon

(18:00) In less than two hours now

**(18:02) Maybe**

(18:05) Gah

(18:05) Now I’m too excited to focus on my assignments

(18:05) Every else is dull and inconsequential by comparison

(18:06) People are glaring at me

(18:06) Again

(18:06) I can’t help it, though

(18:06) When I’m this happy and excited, I can’t just sit still and look impassive

**(18:08) You shouldn’t play poker**

(18:12) Yeah

(18:12) I learnt that the hard way

(18:13) My poker face is…

(18:13) Bad

(18:13) Some might go as far as to say awful

**(18:17) For me, it depends**

**(18:17) I either have a perfect poker face or the worst one that ever existed**

(18:18) What about your poker voice?

**(18:21) Is that a thing?**

(18:24) If it wasn’t before, it is now

(18:24) I’ve created a term

(18:24) The power of it…

**(18:26) I won’t try to hide things from you that my voice could convey, if that’s what you mean**

**(18:26) Probably**

**(18:27) I’m not getting a lot done either**

**(18:27) Going to lock my phone in the safe for the next hour so I actually do some work**

**(18:27) I’ll take it back out in time**

(18:28) Two things:

(18:28) 1) You have a safe?????? Are you sure you’re 25 and not 52?

(18.29) 2) How will you know when an hour has passed without your phone??

**(18:30) 1) I do. Not for the traditional kinds of valuables, per se, but for things that mean a lot to me. Some things that remind me of my mom, pictures I wouldn’t want to burn if there were a fire… Things like that**

**(18:31) 2) I have a laptop? A table clock, too. Not a watch at the moment, because those kept breaking in various engineering-related mishaps. And I’ve got a kitchen timer, which is what I’m going to use**

**(18:32) (It may or may not be shaped like R2D2 from Star Wars, but it was most definitely a gift)**

(18:32) 1) That’s… so sweet I can’t handle it

(18:32) 2) I guess the last time I used anything but my phone for my time-related needs was too long ago

(18:32) (I don’t even know what to say to that)

**(18:33) Talk to you, literally this time, in an hour**

**(18:33) (It was a gift!! I wasn’t going to just throw it away. It fulfils its use, no matter what it’s shaped like)**

(18:34) Yes!!!!!!!

(18:34) (Never said it didn’t)

(19:35) Asami…

(19:35) Are you ready?

(19:35) Because I am

(19:38) If we don’t do this soon, I’m going to get absolutely nothing done today

(19:42) Asamiiiii

(19:44) R2D2, always letting everyone down

**(19:47) Hey, don’t say that!!**

**(19:47) Sorry, got caught up in my project**

**(19:47) Kind of had a breakthrough, actually? So I’m in a really good mood**

**(19:48) And not nervous in the slightest, of course**

(19:48) Of course

(19:48) So…

(19:48) Can I call you?

**(19:49) Yes**

(19:50) Okay

(19:50) I’m gonna do it

(19:59) I can’t believe you didn’t let me say bye back before you hung up

(19:59) Now I’m boo-ing you too, just so you know

**(20:06) Sorry!!**

**(20:06) The student might have returned the book on time, but there was a huge coffee stain on the first couple of pages??**

**(20:06) When confronted, the student just turned and ran, though**

**(20:06) It can happen, but at least own up to it**

**(20:07) Maybe apologise, too**

**(20:07) Couldn’t hurt**

(20:12) You sound like a library

(20:12) Asami—The Voice Of The Library

**(20:13) I’d argue with that, but, once again… You have a point**

**(20:14) Also, that just makes it seem like I wrote a song with that title**

(20:14) I’d listen to it

(20:15) I just googled it and it actually doesn’t exist yet!!

(20:15) This totally counts as coming up with something new

(20:15) I’m gonna go ahead and check that off my bucket list

**(20:17) Congratulations**

(20:18) Thank you!!

(20:18) Not sure if you’re being sarcastic or not

(20:18) But I’m actually really excited about this so I’m just gonna assume you really meant that

(20:19) It’s been a while since I checked something off the list

**(20:20) What was the last thing you checked off?**

(20:20) Trying the so-called “Ghost Pepper,” or Bhut jolokia

(20:20) That was… a mistake

(20:21) At first I thought I was fine, you know?

(20:21) Had a smug expression all ready to go and everything

(20:21) But then… yikes

(20:21) I did not look like a ghost, let me tell you that

(20:21) I tried not to show my reaction

(20:21) But when my eyes started watering I gave up

(20:22) I stuffed more rice into my mouth that day than I’ve ever done before or since

**(20:22) Wow**

(20:22) Yeah

(20:23) Anyway

(20:23) The pizza my roommate and I ordered before our phone call finally arrived!!

(20:23) So I’m gonna go eat that

(20:23) Also, wanted to tell you this on the phone, but I probably won’t be able to message much tomorrow

**(20:24) Me neither, most likely**

(20:24) Then…

(20:24) Talk to you again soon

**(20:25) Definitely.**

**(20:25) Enjoy your pizza**

 

March 20th

(21:06) Yesterday, the phone call thing…

(21:06) I really liked that

**(21:12) Me too**

(21:17) Cool

(21:17) Maybe we could do it again sometime soon

**(21:21) I’d like that**

(21:25) Awesome

(21:25) That’s settled, then

(21:25) It was weird not messaging you today

(21:25) Though I have to admit, I did get more done

(21:26) But!!

(21:26) I don’t care

(21:26) Who needs productivity when they could talk to you instead

**(21:29) Wow**

**(21:29) Smooth**

(21:31) Thank you

(21:31) I stand by it

**(21:34) I think it’s best when there’s a balance, as with most things**

**(21:34) A little bit of this, a little bit of that**

(21:35) It started with a kiss

**(21:37) What?**

(21:38) No

(21:38) Don’t tell me you don’t know that song??

**(21:40) I… don’t know that song, sorry**

(21:42) How could you not know a song with an outstandingly brilliant line like “I'm crying outside the door of your candy store” in it

**(21:44) Is that a real line from the song?**

(21:44) Yup

(21:44) It’s called “The Game of Love” apparently

(21:45) Didn’t remember that myself

(21:49) I just listened to it and it’s stuck in my head now

(21:49) Along with a couple of flashbacks to when my friends and I sang along to it as kids

**(21:51) I listened to it too, but I can’t remember songs when I hear them only once, so I’m safe**

(21:55) What do you mean?

**(21:57) I’m not the best at remembering melodies and things like that. It takes a couple of listens for a song to stick**

(22:01) Got it

(22:01) For me, it depends on the song

(22:02) Some get stuck in my head immediately

(22:02) And others I can’t remember even after listening to them several times

(22:02) And then some I constantly confuse with others with similar melodies/sounds/singers/etc.

**(22:10) It’s interesting how that’s different for everyone**

**(22:10) Also, this might shock you, but today I’m actually the one who’s going to have to go to bed first**

(22:11) Nooo

(22:11) I’m still so awake

(22:11) And I don’t want to stop talking to you

(22:11) But all that aside, sleep well, Asami, and talk to you tomorrow

**(22:13) You’d get tired of me if you talked to me all the time**

(22:13) Doubt it

(22:13) Wanna bet on it?

(22:14) If we’re still talking in a year, you owe me 100 dollars, either in cash or in the form of a couple of dinners

**(22:15) Okay**

**(22:15) Deal**

(22:16) I’m great at winning bets

(22:16) You’ll see

**(22:18) Something tells me I wouldn’t mind too much if you won this one**

(22:19) Asami…

(22:19) You’ve ended me

(22:19) Why must you insist on always being so absolutely adorable??

(22:20) How am I supposed to deal with that?????

(22:20) How?

**(22:21) I’m sure you’ll figure it out**

**(22:21) I have the utmost faith in you**

(22:21) Okay, I know that you’re joking

(22:21) But that actually really warmed my heart

**(22:22) I wasn’t joking**

**(22:22) I really have to try to sleep now, though**

**(22:22) I probably won’t be able to respond as often as usual tomorrow either, though I’ll try to reply whenever I can**

(22:23) Sleep well, Asami

(22:23) It’s both a cool and a bit of a lonely feeling to be the one who stays up longer

(22:23) Just realised that because I think it’s the first time I haven’t fallen asleep, or gone to sleep, first

(22:24) So many firsts with you

(22:24) And you thought I could get bored of you

(22:24) I’m bringing it back:

(22:24) Pshaw

(22:24) Have a great day tomorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!! it would be very lovely of you to leave a comment (again, you're all amazing, thank you for the comments and kudos, you make me very happy. I know I repeat myself a lot in the replies but I always mean it!! I'm just really grateful)
> 
> before you say anything: I've typed out the whole phone call and you're gonna get to read it!! the messages after the phone call will make more sense then too. it just didn't work in the middle of the texting format, so I'm gonna post just the phone call as an extra chapter tomorrow, when I've gone over it again. It's a bit over 1,000 words. I actually read it out loud to figure out how long it took to find out when Korra should send her next message, and then I added a bit of time to that bc I feel like I read it too fast haha


	9. CALL 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korra: regular  
> Asami: **bold**

**“Hello?”**

“Hey, Asami.”

**“Hello.”**

“If I didn’t know you were lying about being nervous before, I’d sure know it now. You do, in fact, not have a good poker voice. At least not right now.”

**“Yes, well… Yeah, I guess you’re right. Though I’m still not sure if ‘poker voice’ is a thing.”**

“I googled it, and it totally is a thing. Was kind of disappointed since I thought I’d come up with something entirely new. I’ll just have to keep trying. That’s also on my bucket list, you know.”

**“So… How are you?”**

“Really?”

**“What?”**

“‘How are you’? Asami, we’ve never once asked each other that, ever. We’ve actually pretty much managed to avoid small talk up till now.”

**“It just… came out. I didn’t know what to say, and that’s a common phrase.”**

“You really don’t need to be nervous. Just imagine you’re typing a message.”

**“But I’m talking.”**

“Yes, that’s why I said ‘imagine’.”

**“Oh.”**

“You’re doing fine. You actually sound less awkward—or rather, stilted—than I thought you would.”

**“Uh… Thanks, I guess?”**

“You have a really nice voice.”

**“That’s…”**

“Asami?”

**“You have a nice voice too.”**

“Thanks. Also, you know that I can totally hear you pacing up and down, right?”

**“Really?”**

“Yeah.”

**“I can’t stop.”**

“You don’t have to. I’m jiggling my leg as we speak, but there’s no one to glare at me for it.”

**“Do you really get glared at as often as you say?”**

“What can I say? I’m… a presence. It’s hard not to notice me.”

**“I can imagine.”**

“So. Does this feel as weird to you as you thought it would?”

**“I mean… yes and no? Yes, as in I’m nervous and don’t know what to say half the time. No, as in you were kind of right, it really is comparable to us messaging back and forth. But also really not. So… I don’t know.”**

“You should totally record audio books.”

**“What?”**

“You should record audio books.”

**“No, I mean, why?”**

“You have a really pleasant voice. Easy to listen to. Then I might actually be able to sit down and listen to an audio book in one go, which has never happened before.”

**“I don’t think they’re meant to be listened to in one go? At least the full-length ones. Just like you usually wouldn’t read a book all at once, unless it’s really gripping and you’re a fast enough reader, I suppose.”**

“That… makes a lot of sense, actually. But still. You should record an audio book.”

**“I don’t even know how you go about that? The publisher would have to hire you or something like that. You’d probably have to audition? Also, I’m pretty convinced you’d be the only person who’d listen to that. I’m not the most expressive reader.”**

“Even if there’s just one person who listens to it and loves it and whose life it makes a little bit better, doesn’t that make it worth it?”

**“That… is a good point.”**

“I’ve been known to make those. Sometimes, at least.”

**“On a personal level, not if we’re talking about the publisher making any profit whatsoever.”**

“Who cares? Everyone’s obsession with this made-up thing called money is literally destroying the Earth, so… Not a fan.”

**“Again, good point.”**

“It makes my head spin to think that the only real difference between Monopoly money and actual money is who printed it and how. In the end, it’s all paper, and it’s something someone took and assigned a certain amount of worth to, but it’s all… nothing, really. And that’s the reason we deny people things they need to survive that we already have a surplus of, if everyone’s garbage is anything to go by?”

**“True. How did we even end up talking about this, though?”**

“I have no idea. I kind of get side-tracked a lot, so I’ve mostly given up on trying to retrace my steps.”

**“I think it was because of the company making a loss if only you bought my hypothetical audio book, which, in turn, we only started talking about because… Because you like my voice.”**

“I do like it.”

**“I like yours too. It suits you.”**

“Thanks. It’s so weird when you see someone and they open their mouth and the voice that comes out just doesn’t match up with the vibe you got from them at all, right? Though, to determine that, we’d have to see pictures of each other first…”

**“You’re not as sneaky as you think you are.”**

“Be that as it may… Do you think you’d ever be up for it? Exchanging pictures, I mean.”

**“I agreed to potentially meet up with you someday, so this really isn’t where I draw the line. We can definitely send each other pictures of ourselves sometime.”**

“Yes! Thank you. I wonder what I’ll think when I see your picture. Like, ‘Ah, yes, that’s Asami,’ or, ‘What, that’s Asami?’ You know what I mean?”

**“I do.”**

“Cool.”

**“So…”**

“So…?”

**“How long do you want to do this for?”**

“Forever. We can never hang up the phone again, or we die. Like when they can’t stop driving the bus in ‘Speed’. I’m sure there’s a movie about this scenario, too.”

**“It wouldn’t surprise me. I just meant, at what point do we know it’s time to hang up?”**

“How do you usually decide that?”

**“Usually, I call people, or they call me, for a specific purpose. So we talk about that, and then we say bye, and then that’s kind of it.”**

“Very clinical.”

**“I don’t think so. It makes sense, that’s all. What else would we talk about when we’ve covered both the reason for the call and the usual pleasantries?”**

“Okay, so since this is kind of a ‘purposeless’ phone call, you’re not sure what to talk about and when it’s okay to hang up. Am I getting that right?”

**“Yes.”**

“You can hang up whenever you want to stop talking, Asami. There’s really no pressure about any of this. I could probably do this till way past midnight.”

**“That’s not true. I know how tired you get, remember? With how easily you fall asleep, you’d probably suddenly drift off in the middle of a sentence.”**

“I’m sure you could keep me awake.”

**“I’ll believe that when I see it.”**

“Is that a challenge?”

**“Maybe. But not one for tonight.”**

“Sounds like you’re backing down.”

**“I’m not. It’s just, my bell is ringing, and I’m pretty sure it’s the student I lent one of my engineering books to, come to return it today as promised. I’m actually impressed? People I lend things to rarely give it back when they said they would. If ever.”**

“Okay. Just know that I’m boo-ing them.”

**“Of course. What a surprise.”**

“I have a valid reason this time.”

**“Don’t say—”**

“It’s because they’re the reason I can’t talk to you anymore. Oh, turns out my voice is too fast for you too, just like my fingers. I guess I’m just destined to win.”

**“Bye.”**

“You— Asami? Hey, Asami? Wow. You really hung up on me. Now I’m the one who’s impressed. And also, I want to talk to you again like right now, but I’m probably not going to tell you that. Not yet, anyway. Depending on my self-control, which is not the most amazing in the whole world, if I’m being entirely honest. Why am I still talking into my phone? I’ll stop now. Talk to you again soon, hopefully. Bye.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the phone call, as promised!! I couldn't change much about it bc I'd already calculated how long it took haha but I'm not really sure about some parts anymore....... oh well!
> 
> no dialogue tags bc I kinda really want to tell this story through their words and their words alone?? it's a cool challenge haha and it's fun
> 
> it would be lovely if you could find the time to tell me what you think!! thank you, as always, for reading, and a special thank you to those who press the kudos button, and to those who comment..... wow, I can't even say how much that means to me!! you're a huge part of the reason why I love working on this story tbh


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korra: regular  
> Asami: **bold**

March 21st

(10:21) Do you think someday there’ll be cars where you have to breathe into an alcohol tester before you can open the door?

(10:22) And if your levels are too high it doesn’t open

(10:22) Just read about another accident caused by a drunk driver

(10:22) It makes me really angry

(10:22) And I don’t understand it

(10:22) What do you think?

**(11:49) I haven’t heard of anyone working on that**

**(11:49) Regarding cars, you mostly hear about them working on self-driving ones and things like that**

(11:54) You could invent it

(11:54) Stop drunk drivers from risking their lives along with everyone else’s

(11:54) You’d be a legend

**(13:13) I don’t know**

**(13:13) It would be easy to cheat it by having someone sober blow into it**

(13:15) What if you tied it to their DNA somehow?

**(13:31) Then no one else could ever borrow their car**

**(13:31) And besides, all cars would have to be equipped with that mechanism. Otherwise, the only people who would buy it wouldn’t drive drunk anyway, and the people who would wouldn’t get a car that could stop them from doing so**

(13:37) Why must you use logic to destroy my dreams

**(14:02) Sorry**

**(14:02) It is a nice idea, though**

**(14:02) People should really look into ways to stop people from ever getting behind the wheel drunk**

**(14:03) Because what they’ve been doing up till now obviously hasn’t been enough to deter everyone**

(14:08) To be fair, “everyone”—in any context—is almost impossible to achieve

(14:08) They should definitely try harder, though

(16:43) So…

(16:43) About that challenge you issued the other day on the phone

(16:43) About that whole “talking for hours” thing

(16:43) Me falling asleep and all that

(16:43) When do you want to do that?

(16:44) Because, I have to tell you, my competitive side wants to prove that I can totally do it as soon as possible

(16:44) And talking to you again wouldn’t be half bad either

(16:44) Maybe

**(17:24) Oh?**

**(17:24) What’s that I hear?**

**(17:25) I’m not sure… When would be good for you?**

(17:46) Technically, not anytime soon because I really have a lot of studying and assignments to do

(17:46) But practically, anytime you want

**(18:58) Okay, then I want to do it when things are a bit less stressful for you, so you can properly focus on passing your classes**

(19:11) Wow

(19:11) I’ve given you too much power

(19:11) Power to help me make good decisions

(19:11) The scandal

(19:11) The outrage

**(19:42) Being a vet seems to be your dream. I never want to stand in the way of that**

(19:47) Asami…

(19:47) This is getting out of hand…

(19:47) I don’t even know what to do with myself anymore

**(21:01) Now you know how I feel**

(21:04) When do I make you feel like that?

**(21:23) All the time**

(21:29) Oh

**(21:45) Yeah**

(21:48) Just so you know:

(21:48) You can back out of this anytime

**(22:05) So you’d win the challenge by forfeit?**

(22:06) ...No comment

**(22:12) I’m not going to back out. I might not be the biggest fan of talking on the phone for prolonged period of time, but… It’s all right when it’s you**

(22:14) Gah

(22:14) Gah gah gah

(22:14) Gah!

**(22:21) Uh…?**

(22:21) Don’t pretend like you don’t know what that did to me

**(22:22) I might have an inkling**

**(22:22) It’s the truth**

(22:24) That’s what makes it so gah-worthy

(22:25) I personally don’t mind phone calls at all

(22:25) Though I do prefer talking face-to-face

(22:25) It’s fine over the phone too

**(22:36) What’s the longest phone call you’ve ever had?**

(22:37) Probably one and a half hours

**(22:40) Wow**

(22:43) It was with my mom

(22:43) We hadn’t seen each other for a while

(22:43) And I guess we both missed each other a bit

(22:43) So we kind of just told each other every little thing about our days and all that

(22:44) And then my dad chimed in sometimes too

(22:44) So, yeah

(22:44) At one point I was just lying on my phone because I couldn’t hold it anymore

**(22:55) Taking all of that into consideration, it wasn’t actually that long, then**

(22:58) True

(22:28) It kind of tested even my phone limits, though

(22:59) But…

(22:59) We might break that record

**(23:06) That’s a daunting task**

**(23:06) Will we be allowed to use speakerphone?**

(23:10) Oh my god

(23:10) I can’t believe I didn’t think of that back then

(23:10) It would have made things so much easier

**(23:11) So we’re allowed to use it?**

(23:13) Definitely

(23:13) As long as we can still hear each other clearly

**(23:17) Got it**

**(23:17) Let’s start it around this time**

(23:17) Nooo

(23:17) That’s too late

(23:17) I’ll be pretty tired already

(23:17) Thereby giving you an unfair advantage

**(23:18) The challenge is to see whether or not I can keep you awake**

**(23:18) It wouldn’t make sense to start it if you aren’t tired yet**

(23:20) Fine

(23:20) Boo

**(23:23) Are you ever going to get tired of doing that?**

(23.25) Doubtful

**(23:29) Good to know**

**(23:30) Do you actually say it out loud too?**

**(23:54) And you’ve fallen asleep**

**(23:54) There is no way you’re going to win that challenge**

 

March 22nd

(09:42) I do say it out loud too

(09:42) My friends pretend to be annoyed by it

(09:43) But I know they whisper it to themselves sometimes

(09:43) It’s catching on

(09:43) Or they’re boo-ing me in turn

(09:43) I’m gonna go with the “it’s catching on” option

(09:43) Also, rude

(09:43) There are numerous ways in which I can win the challenge

(09:43) And you’re going to witness at least one of them

(09:44) Winning comes naturally to me

**(12:16) Doesn’t mean you can’t lose**

(13:33) You busy again?

(13:33) Me too, unfortunately

(13:33) If you ever find a way to press pause on time for a bit, please share it with me

(14:51) By the way

(14:51) No pressure or anything

(14:51) But when do you think we can share those pictures of ourselves we talked about?

**(18:12) [Image]**

(18:27) ?

(18:27) Is that from Vogue or something?

(18:27) A new way of avoiding questions, or…?

(18:28) Sadly, I’m not currently up-to-date on memes

**(18:35) That’s me**

**(18:35) You wanted to see what I look like, so… There.**

(18:39) Nooo

(18:39) Nooooo

(18:39) No????

(18:39) That can’t possibly be you, right??

**(18:43) Last time I checked, that’s what I looked like**

**(18:43) [Image]**

**(18:44) Yup, still is**

(18:50) Asami…

**(18:50) Yes?**

(18:50) You’re one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen

(18:50) I can’t believe??

(18:51) It’s like every amazing trait you have decided to become corporeal and they manifested themselves in your appearance so there could never be any doubt about your wonderfulness

**(18:52) Don’t exaggerate. They’re just features. They don’t say anything about a person’s character.**

(18:56) I’m not!!

(18:56) And that’s fair, but…

(18:56) You’ve got to be aware of how good you look

**(18:56) Sure, you could call me pretty**

**(18:57) Personally, I really like my hair**

(18:57) It does look very nice

**(18:57) But that doesn’t say anything about me?**

**(18:57) Not really, anyway**

(19:01) I don’t know

(19:01) I do think you can tell some things about people going by appearances

(19:02) For example, the eyes always give it away

(19:02) “It” being someone’s… core or whatever

(19:02) The rest of the expression doesn’t matter

(19:02) It’s the eyes that tell you what you need to know

**(19:05) And in my eyes you see…?**

(19:06) Loveliness

(19:06) Some sadness

(19:06) And how you can’t help but be a little bit guarded

(19:07) Even though you think others don’t notice

(19:07) Am I right?

**(19:10) That’s… scarily accurate, actually**

**(19:10) And does my face suit my voice?**

(19:10) It does

(19:10) Perfectly

(19:11) Your voice is exactly the voice I’d imagine coming out of that face

(19:11) Does that sound weird?

(19:11) It sounds weird, doesn’t it

**(19:12) Moderately**

**(19:12) Though I get what you mean**

**(19:12) So…**

(19:13) So?

**(19:15) This wasn’t a one-sided deal, right? Or do you not want to send your picture?**

(19:18) Oh!!

(19:18) I honestly completely forgot about that

(19:18) You’re amazing at distracting me

(19:18) Which is why I’m so going to win that bet

(19:19) Hang on, let me just take a selfie real quick

(19:19) [Image]

**(19:22) That really was quick**

(19:22) If there were a “taking the fastest amazing selfie” contest, I’d totally win it

(19:22) It’s a talent of mine

**(19:22) You look amazing. I don’t know how you can call me beautiful when that is the face you see every time you look in the mirror**

(19:23) I will take your incredibly bad and cheesy flirting and say: Thank you

**(19:26) What are we doing?**

(19:26) You’re gonna have to be more specific than that

**(19:26) The messaging, the phone call, the flirting… What does it all add up to?**

**(19:27) Is it for fun? Does it mean anything?**

(19:28) I mean…

(19:28) It means something to me

(19:28) I really like you, Asami

(19:28) I’ve had a crush on you for a while now, and it doesn’t seem to be going away

(19:29) So I can’t say exactly what we’re doing

(19:29) But…  I want to keep doing it

**(19:31) Me too**

**(19:31) With every new thing I find out about you, I just like you more**

**(19:31) How strange is that? Mostly it’s the other way around for me; I usually always find something to put me off when I get to know people better**

**(19:32) In a way, I guess it’s safer like that**

**(19:32) But I just… I don’t know**

**(19:32) I like you a lot, and instead of decreasing, the feeling is increasing**

**(19:32) I don’t know what to do with that**

(19:33) I understand

(19:33) Also… I can’t believe my selfie made us have a proper talk about us

(19:33) I have hidden powers just waiting to be uncovered

(19:33) In all seriousness, though…

(19:33) Let’s just wait and see where this goes

(19:34) You don’t have to figure it all out now

(19:34) I’m not going anywhere

(19:34) You’re not going anywhere

(19:34) In short: We have time

**(19:35) You’re right**

**(19:35) I guess my thoughts were spiralling a bit there. Sometimes I really feel like I have to figure things out immediately**

**(19:35) Let’s see where this goes, for now**

(19:36) You know what?

(19:37) I think the universe was saying, “Gorgeous people must meet each other” when it made me text your number instead

**(19:39) Wow. Amazing attempt at lightening the mood.**

(19:42) Did it succeed?

**(19:44) …Yes**

**(19:44) I laughed out loud**

(19:48) Ohh

(19:48) That reminds me:

(19:48) I didn’t get to hear your laugh during our last phone call

(19:48) So I’m gonna make it my goal for the next one

(19:49) And add it to my bucket list

(19:49) Because why not?

(19:49) It’s definitely more achievable than “pretending I’m being filmed in slowmo while jumping up and down on the moon”

(19:49) Though I could definitely ace that astronaut training, of course

**(19:50) Of course**

(19:50) See, now you’ve made me all giddy

(19:50) I’ll never be able to read a message where you say that without hearing you actually say it again

(19:51) Can’t say I mind

(19:51) I know I called you cheesy before and I’m about to render myself a hypocrite but… I don’t care

(19:51) You make me so happy, Asami

(19:51) Really, truly, wonderfully, amazingly happy

(19:51) Gah

**(19:55) You make me happy, too**

**(19:55) Very much so, in fact**

**(19:55) And I agree with the sentiment of “gah”**

(19:56) “I agree with the sentiment of ‘gah’” has got to be my new favourite sentence

(19:56) I’m gonna write it on a piece of paper and stick it on my fridge

**(19:57) Won’t your roommate be confused?**

(20:00) Nah

(20:00) He’s just gonna look at it, pause, and then nod in contemplative agreement before forgetting all about it

(20:00) Until he sees it again and repeats the whole process

(20:00) He’s the worst at remembering quotes unless they’re from movies or he can use them to tease you in the future

**(20:04) Sounds like he’s got his priorities in order**

(20:09) Definitely

(20:09) Anyway, we said we’d watch a movie tonight and if I leave him alone any longer he’s just gonna pick something he knows I won’t like

(20:10) Or something he knows I’ll love

(20:10) It really kind of depends on his mood

(20:10) Which I think is mope-y from what I’ve seen so far today

(20:10) He hasn’t figured out what to do about his crush

(20:10) So in that case his choice actually won’t have anything to do with me

(20:10) And he’ll probably either pick something sad, to wallow

(20:10) Or something happy, for hope

(20:11) Wish me luck…

(20:11) But oh well

(20:11) At least there’ll be popcorn

**(20:12) Have fun!**

**(20:12) And good luck to your friend with the whole crush thing**

(22:43) No one can ever say I’m a bad friend

(22:43) The reason is that I just watched “The Mirror Has Two Faces” for the thousandth time

(22:43) And gave my crying roommate a hug

(22:43) He identifies with a different character every time

(22:44) But this time—as is most common—it was Barbra Streisand’s character again

(22:44) And I sat there at the end listening to him sing along to “I’ve Finally Found Someone”

(22:44) So I gained, like, 1,000 friend points

(22:44) And lost about 600 health points

**(22:45) I actually like that song**

(22:45) Trust me, you wouldn’t anymore if you’d heard him sing it

(22:46) He should really leave it to Barbra

(22:46) Oh, and that guy What’s-His-Name

(22:46) His part is kind of more irrelevant so I can’t be bothered to remember his name

(22:46) I’m just gonna fall onto bed and sleep now

**(22:47) You definitely deserve your rest, Friend of the Day**

(22:49) Ohh, I like that

(22:49) I should get that on a plaque

(22:49) Good night, Asami

(22:49) I got a lot done today

(22:49) So our next phone call isn’t far away now

(22:49) Yay

**(22:50) You’re cute**

**(22:50) I think I’m actually looking forward to it, which isn’t something I’ve ever felt about a phone call before**

**(22:50) Good night, Korra**

**(22:50) Sleep well**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!! as always, it would be very lovely of you to leave a comment, they truly make my day, and kudos are very wonderful, too
> 
> if Korra's replies started taking a while after Asami sent her pictures because she just kept going back to staring at them....... then no one has to know. and if the same happened to Asami even though she tried to and kinda succeeded at limiting her staring time..... that's a secret too
> 
> obviously I don't know what it's like to be beautiful so idk I think it must be cool and also weird sometimes? but I do have a claim to cute bc one time I was leaving the library and I stopped outside its doors to untangle my earphones and then this one girl quietly said to a friend, "she's so cute" and then she repeated it bc I guess her friend didn't hear the first time and then I looked up and they were looking right at me and then they laughed awkwardly and I smiled at them and yeah..... that was so adorable I hope I never forget it
> 
> there might be typos in this bc, being a bit of a disaster at times, I hurt one of my index fingers in the most ridiculous way and now it's covered in a band-aid that makes typing a bit weird haha
> 
> take care, angels xx


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korra: regular  
> Asami: **bold**

March 23rd

(08:12) Just a heads-up:

(08:12) I’m gonna put my phone in airplane mode today

(08:12) Got to get stuff done

**(08:17) Good luck**

**(08:17) Talk to you tonight?**

(08:20) Maybe tomorrow

(08:20) Depends on till when I can make myself work

(08:21) If I manage to stick to the plan…

(08:21) Then I’ll probably just fall into bed and sleep at the end of the day

**(08:28) All right, of course**

**(08:28) Hope it goes well**

(08:33) Don’t miss me too much

**(08:35) No promises**

(08:39) Gah

(08:39) I was so sure you’d say “I won’t” again

**(08:44) Sometimes I’m good for surprises**

(08:46) You definitely are

(08:46) I like that about you

(08:46) Okay, so

(08:46) Bye

(08:46) For now

**(08:55) Bye, Korra**

 

March 24th

(10:01) Ugh

(10:01) Why

**(10:11) Why what?**

(10:15) Everything

(10:16) Assignments

(10:16) Professors

(10:16) University

(10:16) All of it

(10:16) Why can’t I just go to a vet and then they teach me everything they know?

(10:16) I’d probably be just as good

(10:16) I’m more of a fan of the learning-by-doing approach

(10:16) But no

(10:17) I have to get a diploma first, blah, blah

**(10:31) I think there are too many people now to pull off the mentor-mentee thing on a grand scale anymore**

**(10:31) One professor is now responsible for, I don’t know, at least 30 people’s skills, whereas in the past, a carpenter or so would take on one or two or maybe three apprentices at a time**

(10:33) Sure, I get all of that

(10:33) But is it really the most efficient way to have us stuff dusty facts into our brains that we’ll most likely have forgotten a couple of weeks after the exam?

**(10:39) Definitely not.**

**(10:39) Learning needs to be geared towards bringing out and nurturing everyone’s potential**

**(10:39) Instead of whatever mess it currently is**

**(10:40) How many people don’t know what they want to do nowadays? Too many to count**

(10:40) Ugh

**(10:40) I agree**

(10:41) Well, since we’re still stuck in this system

(10:41) I’m gonna put my phone in airplane mode again

(10:41) Just remember…

(10:41) The harder I work now, the sooner we can have our next phone call

**(10:42) Oh, joy**

(10:42) Boo

**(10:45) No, I am actually looking forward to it**

**(10:45) Really**

**(10:45) Good luck with everything today**

(21:56) Help

(21:56) I’ve had this song stuck in my head all day

**(22:00) Not sure how I can help with that**

**(22:00) How did things go today?**

(22:02) Get another, less annoying catchy song stuck in my head

(22:02) Also, I don’t even know this song

(22:02) It’s just this one word (or two words?) repeated over and over again

(22:02) In slightly different ways

(22:03) It makes me want to scream to drown it out

**(22:04) What are the words?**

(22:06) Something like “tiamo, tiamo, tiamo” times a bajillion

(22:06) Please make it stoppppppp

**(22:06) I googled it and it seems to be an Italian song called “Ti Amo” (which means I love you)**

(22:08) I can’t remember ever hearing an Italian song before?

(22:08) Hang on…

(22:08) If I’ve never heard it before…

(22:08) And yet it somehow magically got stuck in my head…

**(22:08) Doubtful, but go on**

(22:09) Do you think it’s trying to tell me something?

**(22:09) Um**

(22:09) Just kidding, don’t worry

(22:10) Not about to spring that on you

(22:10) Maybe I heard it at a restaurant somewhere

(22:10) Or someone listened to it loud enough for me to hear

**(22:11) That does seem more likely than the universe implanting the knowledge of that song into your brain to send you a secret message**

(22:15) When you put it that way…

(22:15) I just listened to it and it does sound vaguely familiar?

(22:15) Also, that was a mistake

(22:15) Because I only strengthened its power

(22:16) And now it’s probably going to be stuck in my head forever

(22:16) On an endless loop

(22:16) If you ever invent a device that makes you unhear something

(22:16) Think of me

**(22:17) Here: Link**

**(22:17) I’m bad at remembering melodies, but on the rare occasions that a song does get stuck in my head, listening to that song always gets rid of it**

(22:18) Are you trying to rick-roll me…

**(22:18) Is that even a thing anymore?**

**(22:18) Also, it’s not actually that bad a song**

**(22:18) Though the singer is one of those people whose voice is unexpected if you see his face first**

(22:19) You didn’t say no…

**(22:19) No.**

**(22:19) Rest assured, I am not trying to rick-roll you**

(22:20) That’s a relief

(22:20) Something about that song makes me really uncomfortable

(22:20) I can’t explain it

(22:20) It’s not rational

(22:20) But, before I open it…

(22:21) What is it?

**(22:21) “Twist In My Sobriety” by Tanita Tikaram? It always leaves my mind a blank slate after and erases any trace of songs that were previously on repeat in my head**

(22:21) I’m not sure I know that song

(22:21) But I’m taking a big leap of faith that this isn’t a rick-roll…

(22:22) And am just gonna open the link now

(22:26) Wow

(22:27) You were right

(22:27) The annoying song is gone

(22:27) And I feel relaxed and kind of in a trance-like state

(22:27) But maybe I’m just tired

(22:27) Thank you, Asami

(22:27) You really saved me there

**(22:29) Glad I could help**

**(22:34) Korra…**

**(22:34) Did you fall asleep?**

**(22:45) You did, didn’t you?**

**(22:45) Are you sure you want to carry out that challenge?**

**(22:45) Because, at this point, your defeat is all but written in stone**

 

March 25th

(07:50) Boo

(07:50) Your attempts at planting doubts in my mind aren’t going to work

(07:51) I think tomorrow could be the day

(07:51) I want to get a big chunk of stuff done today

(07:51) (Thus, airplane mode, again)

(07:51) So I should be well-rested tomorrow and ready to face you

**(08:02) You’re making this way more dramatic than it needs to be**

(08:04) I think you’ll find I disagree on that

**(08:05) Of course**

(08:07) Have a good day!!

**(08:10) You too**

(21:33) Asami…

**(21:38) You’re about to say something corny, aren’t you?**

(21:40) Yes

(21:40) Though some might just call it sweet

(21:40) Anyway

(21:41) Having you in my life has made it even better

(21:41) I want you to know that

**(21:44) Korra, how can you be so upfront about these things…**

(21:44) You’ve been upfront about them too

(21:44) Granted, mostly when I was already asleep

(21:44) But still

**(21:46) It’s the same for me**

**(21:47) Okay… Time to be upfront as well**

**(21:47) I love it.**

**(21:47) All of it**

**(21:47) I love talking to you, I love knowing you, I’m so grateful you got that number wrong that first day**

**(21:48) I enjoy everything about this, and I think you’re wonderful**

(21:49) Nooo

(21:49) How am I supposed to deal with that, Asamiiiii

(21:49) Howww

(21:49) But also…

(21:50) You took the words right out of my mouth

(21:50) And I love that this is mutual

(21.50) It’s the best feeling

(21:50) We’re pretty different in some ways

(21:50) But also really similar in others

(21:50) It’s a great balance

(21:50) I don’t know

(21:51) I like you so much that sometimes I feel like I’m gonna explode because of it

**(21:51) Don’t do that**

**(21:51) I don’t want anything bad to happen to you**

(21:52) Gah

(21:52) We need to stop

(21:52) I don’t know how much more of this I can take??

(21:52) Without actually combusting, that is

**(21:53) Me neither**

(21:54) Let’s just… change the topic to something that doesn’t make me feel like my heart is trying to break free from my chest to fly through the sky with that flock of pigeons that lives in the courtyard

**(21:55) All right**

**(21:55) (Also, that was a really long message for you)**

**(21:56) One time as a kid, I dressed up in an elephant costume that was basically a onesie and extremely comfortable**

**(21:56) I never wanted to take it off again; my parents had to bribe me into it with promises of candy**

**(21:56) And then, they hid it so I could never find it again. I was heartbroken for a while**

**(21:57) It seems so silly now, how something so trivial can feel like a big loss when there are so many other things that hurt much more to lose that, ideally, you don’t find out about until much later**

**(21:58) Though for many, that’s not the case**

(21:58) Okay, first off, that elephant costume thing is probably the cutest thing I’ve ever heard

(21:59) Also, I think it’s good that way

(21:59) That the little things seem so big when we’re small

(21:59) That prepares us a bit, maybe

(21:59) Makes us practice getting over stuff

**(22:00) I guess**

**(22:00) Some stuff stays with you, though**

**(22:00) You learn to live with it, but it stays and it never goes away completely**

**(22:01) I don’t think anything can ever prepare you for those kinds of losses**

**(22:01) Not really**

(22:01) Okay, I’ve made you think about sad things

(22:01) Sorry about that

(22:02) Should I change the topic now?

(22:02) I’ll share something, too

(22:02) As a kid, I believed that things we made out of snow would come alive overnight

(22:02) I hadn’t even heard about Frosty or anything like that

(22:02) I just believed it

(22:02) Not sure where that belief came from…

(22:02) Maybe some legends or something

(22:03) Anyway, every time I made something out of snow, my parents would make it disappear after I'd fallen asleep

(22:03) So that when I checked the next morning, I’d think it had actually come alive and walked off to meet up with its snow friends

(22:03) It always made me so happy

**(22:04) That is the most adorable thing ever, way more than my elephant costume story**

**(22:04) Wow**

(22:05) I’ll take it

(22:05) I was a pretty cute kid

(22:05) Hang on, I think I have a picture somewhere

(22:16) Found it!!

(22:16) [Image]

**(22:21) Oh my god**

(22:21) Cute, right?

**(22:22) Very adorable**

(22:22) I’m a bit self-satisfied now

(22:22) What about you?

**(22:23) I’m not sure if I have any of the elephant costume here**

**(22:23) I’d have to check the box of pictures in my cellar compartment, and I don’t really feel like going down there right now**

(22:24) You keep them locked away in a box in a dungeon?

**(22:24) The cellar of my apartment complex**

(22:24) Similar enough

(22:24) Dungeons were basically the cellars of castles

(22:24) Also

(22:24) Why??

**(22:25) I don’t know**

**(22:25) Looking at them always makes me feel a host of emotions, all of them complicated**

**(22:25) In the past, when I kept them up in my apartment, sometimes I’d sit there and stare at them for hours, losing time, kind of**

**(22:26) I didn’t like the way that made me feel. So now, I only get them out when I really feel like it**

**(22:26) It’s nicer that way**

**(22:26) I’ll go look tomorrow to see if I can find one of my elephant costume**

(22:27) Oh, okay, I get it

(22:27) Also, yay!!

(22:27) I really hope you have a picture of that

(22:28) Would you say you looked like yourself as a kid?

**(22:28) Considering that I’ve always been myself, I’d say yes**

(22:28) No, what I mean is that would someone who doesn’t know you well be able to recognise you

**(22:29) I think so? Not sure**

(22:29) Some people have really recognisable faces

(22:29) Unique, I guess

(22:29) I have a friend like that

(22:29) You can even recognise them as a baby??

(22:29) How is that even a thing

**(22:30) I do think you could tell it’s me, though I have also met people who have absolutely nothing in common with their younger selves**

(22:31) Yeah, some people really change a lot

(22:31) Or just don’t have a very memorable face

(22:32) You definitely have that

**(22:33) Smooth segue into a compliment**

(22:35) Thanks

(22:35) I try

**(22:38) I’m surprised you haven’t fallen asleep yet**

**(22:52) Or not**

March 26th

(08:57) Obviously I had to go to sleep in a timely manner

(08:57) Or I wouldn’t be refreshed and ready to tackle the Phone Challenge tonight

(08:57) Which I’m naturally going to win

**(09:09) Naturally.**

**(09:09) I just came back from the cellar**

(09:09) (Dungeon)

**(09:10) No**

(09:10) Boo

**(09:10) Do you want to see an elephant costume picture or not?**

(09:10) I do, I do, I do!!

(09:10) Show me

**(09:11) [Image]**

(09:13) That’s the cutest picture ever

(09:13) You look so happy

**(09:14) I do, don’t I?**

**(09:14) Maybe I should look into whether they sell elephant costumes for grown-ups**

(09:14) Absolutely not

**(09:15) You’re probably right**

**(09:15) However, I’m going to look into it anyway**

(09:16) Don’t go down the onesie rabbit hole…

(09:17) You may never come back out

(09:17) Also, you basically have to take off all of your clothes to go to the bathroom

(09:17) Not the best in the colder months

**(09:23) You sound like you’re speaking from experience…**

(09:28) I repeat:

(09:28) Absolutely not

**(09:30) All right, I’ll drop it**

(09:30) I appreciate it

**(09:30) For now**

(09:30) I appreciate it a bit less

**(09:31) So… Tonight is phone call night?**

(09:35) Yes

(09:36) Finally

(09:36) I’m excited

**(09:42) To lose?**

(09:44) Ha, ha

(09:44) No, to talk to you again

(09:44) Obviously

(09:44) You should call me this time

(09:45) Because I was the one who made the call last time

**(09:48) All right, fair enough. I will**

(09:51) Awesome

(09:51) When should we do it?

**(09:54) Like we said, around 11 pm?**

(09:57) Okay

(09:57) Fine

(09:58) But I still maintain that that gives you an advantage

**(10:00) And I still maintain that you being tired is the whole point of this**

(10:03) Should I somehow miraculously fail

(10:03) And fall asleep

(10:03) Would you do me a favour and not gloat about it?

**(10:05) Would you gloat if you won?**

(10:09) No comment

(10:09) Alright, fine

(10:10) Maybe you could just limit your gloating

**(10:11) I can do that**

**(10:11) Does one “I told you so” sound okay?**

(10:12) Yes, I deem that acceptable

(10:13) If you must

**(10:16) You’re starting to see the flaws in your plan, aren’t you?**

(10:17) I admit to nothing of the sort

(10:17) But, maybe

(10:18) It’s not like I choose to fall asleep

(10:18) I just do

(10:18) One could say… sleep chooses me

**(10:20) One could, but one shan’t**

(10:22) Boo

**(10:22) When you fail, at least you’ll have won an amazing sleeping schedule**

**(10:23) I’d trade a lot for that**

(10:25) “When”

(10:25) Your lack of faith in me is wounding

**(10:28) It’s more my faith in your astounding ability to suddenly fall asleep**

(10:31) Oh

(10:31) I might have just aww-ed

(10:31) (Again, because how could I not have aww-ed at that elephant costume picture, honestly)

(10:31) Maybe

(10:31) A little

(10:32) “Astounding” is a word I wish people used to describe me more often

**(10:33) Noted**

(10:33) Oh, no, that wasn’t a hint that you should do it

(10:33) I was just… typing out loud

(10:33) Like thinking out loud, but typing

(10:33) Does that work?

(10:33) I’m thinking no

(10:34) But you know what I mean

**(10:36) I know. But it’s noted anyway**

(10:39) I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but…

(10:39) Gah

(10:40) Also, I should have been finishing up some stuff for over an hour now

(10:40) But talking to you is so much more fun, so…

(10:40) I should really get to it now, though

(10:40) Talk to you tonight!!

(10:40) Voice-to-voice

(10:40) (I’m making that a thing)

**(10:53) Wouldn’t it be voice-to-ear?**

(11:02) Let’s not get caught up in the technicalities

(11:02) Voice-to-voice sounds better, so…

(11:03) That’s what I’m going with

(11:03) I should probably put my phone in airplane mode again

(11:03) Boo

(11:03) I’m resolved that it’s going to be the last time until the next time I get on an actual plane

(11:03) But we’ll see

**(11:31) I hope you weren’t waiting for me to answer? And I hope you’re already making progress. Good luck either way, and we’ll talk later**

(11:33) What makes you think I’d be waiting for your answer?

(11:33) Of course not

**(11:38) Then why isn’t your phone in airplane mode yet?**

(11:38) No comment

(11:38) Bye for now

**(11:46) Bye**

(20:29) I’m back!!

(20:29) Are you cheering?

**(20:44) Exuberantly.**

**(20:44) I’m not done yet so my replies are going to be a bit slow**

(20:45) You’re still working?

(20:45) I guess you’re more of a night owl

(20:45) Or when do you get the most work done?

**(21:13) I’m an everything owl**

**(21:14) Or anytime owl?**

**(21:14) There isn’t a certain time where I’m all that more productive**

**(21:14) I can always get stuff done**

(21:17) That’s impossible

(21:17) I don’t believe it

**(21:25) Doesn’t make it less true**

(21:28) That’s a good point

(21:28) It’s just, I can’t get a lot done in the morning or at night, really

(21:28) And I have some friends who are night owls

(21:28) A few who are morning people

(21:28) None who are same-level-of-efficiency-anytime people

**(21:52) Now you have one**

**(21:52) Unless you don’t consider us friends**

(21:52) I do

**(21:52) And if you’re not a morning person and also not a night owl, why is it so hard to believe that I can work anytime?**

**(21:52) It’s rather sad, but my body has adjusted to a lack of sleep**

(21:53) That is sad

(21:53) You should look into stuff you can do about that

(21:53) To sleep better

**(22:04) I have**

**(22:04) None of it has worked**

(22:07) Yet!

(22:07) I’m sure you’ll find something that’ll be able to help

**(22:16) Thank you**

**(22:16) I guess I should pick the search back up again**

(22:19) So, about that phone call…

**(22:30) Not yet. You know the deal**

(22:32) Ugh

(22:32) Fine

(22:33) But the later it gets, the more you deprive yourself of precious seconds spent talking to me

**(22:37) So you’re just going into it expecting defeat now?**

**(22:37) Why are you still going through with it?**

(22:38) Because I want to talk to you more than I want to win

(22:38) Duh

**(22:49) That’s so sweet**

**(22:49) You’re sweet, Korra**

(22:51) You know, none of my friends ever really call me that

(22:51) And you know something else?

(22:51) I like it like that

(22:51) It makes it a “you” thing

(22:51) Or an “us” thing

(22:51) That makes me happy

**(22:55) Korra…**

**(22:55) Don’t make me steal your trademark and actually use “gah”**

(22:55) You could

(22:56) I wouldn’t even sue

(22:56) Ready to call me now?

**(22:56) How generous of you**

**(22:56) And it’s not 11 yet**

(22:56) Really?

**(22:56) Yes**

(22:56) It has to be on the dot?

**(22:58) Yes**

(22:58) Alright

(22:58) I feel a bit like I’m counting down to New Year’s

**(22:58) I never do that**

**(22:58) I’ve lost track of how many New Year’s I’ve missed because I was so embroiled in something I was working on**

(22:59) That’s sad

**(22:59) Yes, I know, “That’s sad”**

(22:59) Too fast again

(22:59) My reputation is safe

(23:00) Asamiii

(23:00) It’s tiiime

(23:03) You know how tired I am…

(23:03) You really don’t need to improve your advantage

**(23:05) All right**

**(23:05) I’ll call you**

(23:05) !!!

(23:09) I’m beginning to think you’re the one who fell asleep…

(23:09) Asamiiiii

**(23:10) Sorry, I’ll do it now**

(23:10) Are you just saying that, or…

(23:10) Oh

**(23:28) Told you so**

**(23:28) (My one and only time saying that, I promise)**

**(23:28) Sleep well, Korra**

**(23:28) Talk to you tomorrow**

**(23:28) (I just realised how many times the last message of the day in our chat is me saying something similar… I really do need to fix my sleeping schedule somehow)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!! it would be very lovely of you to leave a comment (kudos are great too!! this is kind of getting close to the end and I'm gonna miss all of you when this is over!!)
> 
> I wanted to get this done earlier, but then life happened along with a healthy dose of doubt about everything I was writing. and I had to write the phone call too which was basically another chapter (gonna post it tomorrow!! I haven't written 100% of it and when I read the current version out loud it was a bit under 14 minutes (even though I tried to read slowly-ish and included authentic yawns haha) so I rounded up but it might not be totally accurate, sorry about that. I've lost track of all the brackets?? am I still in additional brackets right now? I don't think so?? gonna close with one)
> 
> I stayed up past midnight to finish this and it's long-ish so I hope that makes up for the longer wait!! I've forgotten how everything is spelt bc my brain just wants to sleep so idk if I'm making sense but I hope you're well! take care!!


	12. CALL 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korra: regular  
> Asami: **bold**

“Hey.”

**“Hello.”**

“So, are you ready for this?”

**“Ready for you to inevitably fall asleep, thereby cutting our call short?”**

“Ha, ha. You’ll see. I can totally do this. Maybe.”

**“Why would you even want to? You love to sleep.”**

“I do love to sleep. But! I also love to win.”

**“Of course.”**

“I love it when you say that.”

**“What?”**

“I said, I knew you were going to say that.”

**“Oh. I guess we’re both becoming predictable, to an extent. Comes with the territory.”**

“The territory being…?”

**“Getting to know each other better.”**

“Gah.”

**“Now I know what that sounds like said in your voice. I like it.”**

“Stop that.”

**“Stop what?”**

“You know.”

**“I don’t. Enlighten me.”**

“Stop making me feel flustered.”

**“Oh.”**

“Yeah.”

**“So, what do you want to talk about?”**

“Anything.”

**“Very helpful.”**

“Okay, fine. Let’s talk about… What are you doing right now?”

**“If you ask me what I’m wearing, I’m hanging up immediately.”**

“Oh my god, why is that always where your mind goes? Why?”

**“‘Always’.”**

“This again. You’re at three times now, and counting.”

**“The first time, you said you didn’t want to talk about a dream you had. I mean… It’s not that big a leap.”**

“There are a thousand other things the dream could have been about that I wouldn’t want to disclose.”

**“For example?”**

“Uh… Like, you know…”

**“There you have it.”**

“Don’t take that as proof. I’ll come up with something.”

**“You wouldn’t have to if your dream had really been about something else. You could simply say that other thing as an example, then, and wouldn’t have to think about it at all.”**

“No, because if I said the thing it actually was, then you’d know about it, which I obviously don’t want.”

**“Sure.”**

“You could at least try to sound like you believe me.”

**“But I don’t. And the second time, you called your hand ‘Super Hand’. Even you have to admit it sounds at least a little bit perverted.”**

“But I don’t.”

**“I know you can’t see it, but I’m rolling my eyes right now.”**

“We should video chat sometime.”

**“What?”**

“If you want.”

**“We could.”**

“Okay.”

**“Okay.”**

“Then I’ll be able to see things like that.”

**“You will.”**

“Cool.”

**“I agree.”**

“Have you ever just lain outside at night and looked at the night sky?”

**“No, can’t say that I have.”**

“Oh, you should. Everyone should do it at least once.”

**“I gather you’ve done it?”**

“Yeah. Back home, there isn’t a lot of light pollution, and when you go a bit further out still… Wow. Sometimes it feels like you can see the whole universe, you know? I know that’s silly, but…”

**“It’s not silly. It sounds lovely, actually.”**

“You could come with me someday. I could show you everything back home, and then we could just set off into nature and you could see it, the true night sky.”

**“A night spent gazing at the stars? You’re a romantic, who would have thought.”**

“Am not! Or… maybe a little. Though I can’t promise I won’t just gaze at you instead of the stars, because I’ve seen them and marvelled at them before, but you—”

**“Stop. I’m not sure I’ll be able to handle what you’re about to say, and besides, if we went there together, you’d have had plenty of opportunities to study me already.”**

“But I won’t have seen you look at the stars before. I love catching that expression on people’s faces. They look so serene—at peace and in awe. Okay, fine, there was this one person who looked bored and went back to looking at their phone immediately, but I don’t count them.”

**“I wouldn’t count them either.”**

“Thank you. Did you notice that it’s always been me so far who’s had to come up with a new topic of conversation? Why don’t you have a go?”

**“I did notice, but I was hoping you hadn’t. I’m not really sure what to say.”**

“Anything. You could start listing things that you see and I wouldn’t interrupt you.”

**“Is that your sneaky way of finding out what my room looks like?”**

“No, of course not, what makes you think that?”

**“That answer just now.”**

“Boo.”

**“Fine, I’ll think of something. Okay, done. I haven’t tried baking a loaf of bread since Lady Breadington.”**

“You haven’t even considered baking Lady Loafingsbury?”

**“You want her already?”**

“I’ve wanted her since I first considered the idea of her.”

**“This is…”**

“So, firstly, I love your laugh. It might be one of the best things I’ve ever heard. And I can check that off my bucket list, so thank you. Secondly, I know I’m the one who started this whole thing, but maybe it is a bit weird after all to talk about loafs of bread as if they were people.”

**“Oh, no, whyever would you say that?”**

“Ha, ha. Point taken. Doesn’t mean I’m not still going to call the loaf that, though. It’s too good an opportunity to pass up.”

**“I agree.”**

“Oh.”

**“What? Were you expecting me to fight you on this?”**

“No, not really. I’m not sure what I was expecting. Even without any expectations, you managed to catch me by surprise.”

**“Is that good or bad?”**

“Neither. It’s you, and you’re… I mean, you know how I feel about you. I can’t get into this again, it’s going to start being bad for my health.”

**“I think your heart beating fast sometimes is actually important for your health. Your blood or something? Not sure.”**

“That sounds like I’ve heard it before but I’m not awake enough to scour my memory for any facts about it. Obviously, an accelerated heartrate is important every now and again, but from exertion and the like, not just… from feelings. Probably.”

**“I have no idea.”**

“Me neither. We’re just two idealess tired people, hanging out while talking on the phone.”

**“I’m actually not really tired.”**

“What? How? No, honestly, how?”

**“By not being tired.”**

“When do you tend to start getting tired?”

**“It differs, but usually not till quite a bit past midnight. Sometimes earlier, but then I can’t fall asleep. It’s the most annoying thing. I’m tired, tired, tired, and then, as soon as my head hits the pillow, any trace of tiredness is gone and I’m wide-awake.”**

“That does sound annoying.”

**“You can’t relate.”**

“To an extent. Asami, do you believe in fate?”

**“No.”**

“Wow, that was fast. You don’t even have to think about it?”

**“I have thought about it. Extensively. And I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a nice idea, and it can help people cope with things because if something doesn’t work out, they can just say that it wasn’t meant to be. But do I believe that everyone’s point of death, for example, is set in stone long before they’re ever born? No.”**

“That’s… intense. I like the thought of fate, to be honest. Sure, it can lead to complacency if you trust in it too much, like if you think that the things you want are just going to start falling out of the sky without you doing anything to make them happen. But, I don’t know, I like the idea that some things are fixed. The way we get there is entirely up to us, but we do get there no matter what, we do meet that person, we are there just at the right time to help someone, maybe even save their life. If you look closely enough, things really are intricately connected, and you can call it what you want, but ‘fate’ isn’t all too far off.”

**“I see what you’re saying, and I definitely agree with some of your points. Things are connected in ways we’re only just finding out about, and probably also in ways we have yet to even start considering. I don’t think that’s fate, though, but simply the make-up of the universe, more complex and layered than anything a human mind could ever think of or comprehend.”**

“Okay, I’m not sure I got all of that because, as you know, I’m really tired, but, yeah. I think people use a lot of different words to talk about the same things sometimes without realising it, like with fate and the like. I don’t know, can things really be that random? That I messaged a wrong number and it wasn’t just an awkward two-word exchange. No, it turned into this, us, talking now, talking all the time.”

**“You think we met because of fate? That’s why you asked that question.”**

“Don’t sound so sceptical.”

**“Sorry, I didn’t mean to. There’s no way to prove or disprove it either way, and I don’t deny that fate existing might be a possibility. I’ve simply chosen not to believe in it for now, which doesn’t mean that it can’t possibly exist.”**

“That’s fair.”

**“We just said a lot of things. To be honest, hearing you get so into discussing this is something I’m glad I could experience.”**

“Well, I’m glad I could provide that chance. I have a lot more where that came from. I’m not kidding. It’s easy for me to just talk about stuff for hours.”

**“I see. But you’re tired, aren’t you?”**

“Boo. You know I am. It’s, and I quote, ‘the whole point of this thing’.”

**“Do you think you’ll fall asleep soon?”**

“I know it sounds fake, but I can’t actually say. A lot of the time, it catches me by surprise just as much as anyone else.”

**“I really admire that. To expand on what we were talking about earlier, sometimes I’m finally falling asleep, but then I realise I’m falling asleep, and I think about it and how it feels and how it happens, and then I’m wide awake again.”**

“I know the feeling.”

**“Really?”**

“Yeah. I’ve had trouble falling asleep before. The last time was when I was worried about you a while ago. It both feels like it was just yesterday and also like it was ages ago, if that makes sense.”

**“Oh. I’m sorry about that.”**

“I know I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: Don’t apologise, it’s not your fault. That’s like if I apologised for my phone dying. It was an unfortunate chain of events that wasn’t on either of us.”

**“You’re really sweet, you know that?”**

“I might’ve known something of the sort. A certain someone might have told me before, and I know I have my moments.”

**“Your voice is starting to get heavy and slow… I can feel sleep coming on.”**

“Rude. I have it on good authority that I sound as fresh as a daisy.”

**“Whose authority?”**

“Mine, of course.”

**“Of course.”**

“In all seriousness, though, that’s not fair. I’m in bed and talking to you is relaxing, how could I not be sleepy?”

**“You think talking to me is relaxing?”**

“It really is, when you’re not making my heart feel like it’s going to burst. Talking to you always helps me wind down, it feels… Okay, now, remember that I’m tired, so don’t hold any of this against me. It feels warm, and safe, and comfortable, but also always interesting. I really like hearing about what you’re thinking and feeling, and I just… I love it when I feel like I’m getting to know you better. Wow, tired me is honest. Awake me might be kind of embarrassed now, but tired me just feels like giggling.”

**“Korra, I don’t even know what to say to that. Now you’re the one who’s making my heart feel like it’s going to burst. I know we keep saying this, and stop me if it starts getting annoying, but I feel the exact same way about this, about you. Things I would feel uncomfortable about with others come so naturally and easily with you, like talking on the phone right now, and I… I value it so much. You really mean a lot to me, and I don’t know how to show you how honest I’m being about that.”**

“Gah. Asami, I’m so tired, and when I feel so much while this tired I just feel like crying, basically, so that’s what that sniff just now was about. But I don’t want to cry. I want to talk to you, or we don’t… don’t even have to talk, I just want to be here with you, knowing you’re on the other end of the line. It’s… Wow. You mean… You mean a lot to me too, and I believe… I believe in your honesty, you know, and I hope you believe in mine, too.”

**“You become really babbly when you’re tired. It’s… ridiculously cute.”**

“That’s… And you know the… The… The? What am I getting at?”

**“I think all the yawning is making it hard to keep track of your thoughts.”**

“As if. It’s always… hard to keep track… track of my thoughts. And I’m… totally awake, don’t… don’t im… imply otherw… otherwise. I’m… of course… and also… it…”

**“Korra?”**

“…”

**“There you go. I know you like to win, but I had this one in the bag from the start, and I think you always knew that. So don’t be too disappointed. Like I said, you win an amazing sleeping schedule, at least. Would love to have one of those. Sleep well, Korra. Sweet dreams.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!! if you leave me a comment or kudos I'll love you, I don't make the rules that's just how it is
> 
> I'm really tired again so idk yesterday I missed some typos but oh well, my Master's thesis has one in the title and that's un-editable so haha there's that
> 
> also, I added some parts so now I think it might actually be a bit longer than the timestamp? but oh well again
> 
> take care, angels xx idk how long the next chapter is gonna take bc I've got a lot of work at the moment but I hope not much more than a week (maybe it'll be faster I can't say at all)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korra: regular  
> Asami: **bold**

March 27th

(08:42) So

(08:42) Congratulations are in order

(08:42) I suppose

**(08:55) Not really. I didn’t do anything**

**(08:55) Simply waited for the inevitable to happen**

(09:09) When you put it like that

(09:10) I retract my congratulations

(09:10) And instead extend them to myself for holding out as long as I did

(09:10) Though I’m not sure the words I was thinking actually made it out of my mouth by the end

**(09:24) Your sentences did lose most of their coherence**

(09:36) Thought so

(09:36) Well…

(09:36) Where do we go from here?

**(10:03) What do you mean?**

(10:17) I mean, what’s gonna be our next step?

(10:17) We’ve slowly been making progress

(10:17) Our last steps were the first phone call, the selfies, the childhood pictures, and the phone call last night

(10:18) So now…

(10:18) Should it be video chatting?

**(10:29) It can be, if you want**

(10:44) Okay, if I’m being honest then I’d rather see you in person than just over a screen

(10:44) So I guess what I’m saying is that I want to meet you

**(10:51) Oh**

(10:53) Oh…?

(10:53) What do you think?

**(11:30) I want to meet you too**

**(11:30) But maybe not quite yet?**

**(11:31) I don’t know**

**(11:31) I don’t feel prepared, though I’m not even entirely sure that this is something you can feel completely prepared for**

**(11:31) I guess you simply choose to do it and then you power through your nervousness**

(11:45) Asami, whoa

(11:45) Relax

(11:45) We don’t have to do this

(11:45) I just wanted to put it out there

(11:45) Because I want to be honest with you

(11:46) But if you don’t want to meet yet, that’s totally fine

(11:46) Don’t worry about it

**(11:59) It’s not that I don’t want to meet, because I do**

**(11:59) It’s… I have all these thoughts**

(11:59) Like what?

**(12:02) What if it’s too soon; what if it’s weird; what if we don’t like each other in person; what if we ruin this and never talk again**

**(12:02) I don’t want to lose this**

**(12:02) To lose you**

**(12:03) And I’m worried about that being the possible outcome of us meeting**

**(12:03) Probably not, I know that. But maybe**

(12:07) I get that

(12:07) And I’m tempted to say, “That’s not gonna happen,” but I’m pretty sure you’d just say, “There’s no way for you to know that short of being psychic”

(12:08) (Jury’s still out on that so I can neither confirm or deny that statement)

(12:08) So I’m just gonna say…

(12:08) I want to meet you anyway

(12:08) But I only want to do it if you want it too

(12:08) So whenever you feel up to it, just tell me

(12:08) Because you can be sure that my answer is gonna be yes

**(12:19) Okay.**

**(12:19) Let’s do it soon**

(12:20) Really??

**(12:23) Yes**

(12:23) !!!!!!

**(12:28) Though we don’t even know if it’s feasible**

**(12:28) Maybe we live far away from each other; the same time zone only means so much**

(12:31) So…

(12:32) Are you saying we should tell each other where we live?

(12:32) Just in case, I’ve got Google maps ready to see how far away from each other we are

**(12:50) Can we do that some other day?**

(12:56) Too fast?

**(13:13) No, not really. It’s… I don’t know**

**(13:13) Today isn’t a good day for it**

(13:17) How come?

(13:17) Are you okay?

**(13:22) I am, don’t worry**

**(13:22) I’m just in a bit of a weird mood, so I think I couldn’t handle that today. That being really solidifying our plans into something real**

(13:30) Okay, sure

(13:31) I understand

(13:31) I won’t bring it up again

(13:31) Like with meeting, whenever you’re ready just tell me, and we’ll do this

**(13.36) Thank you, Korra**

**(13:36) It means a lot to me that you’re so respectful of my occasionally weird hang-ups**

(13:39) No worries

(13:39) Gonna change the topic now

(13:39) …

(13:40) I can’t come up with anything

**(13:47) Wow, I almost can’t believe it**

(13.48) I know

**(13:50) I guess it’s my turn**

**(13:50) Okay**

**(13:51) If you had a chance to explore the unknown depths of the ocean, would you take it?**

(13:55) Definitely

(13:55) I love water

(13:55) And I bet there’s some freaky stuff down there

(13:55) I wanna see it

**(14:01) You wouldn’t be scared?**

(14:14) Nope

(14:14) Maybe I’d even find something down there that we didn’t know about before

**(14:32) From a logical standpoint, definitely. There are bound to be many types of fish and other creatures down there that we’ve never before**

**(14:33) But… you mean mermaids, don’t you?**

(14:40) That would be silly

**(14:45) Don’t you?**

(14:51) …Yeah

(14:51) I do mean mermaids

**(15:05) I knew it**

(15:13) Thanks for believing in the vastness of my imagination

(15:13) And you can’t say for sure that there aren’t any mermaids down there

(15:14) Sure, they’re not going to look like Ariel or whatever

(15:14) But they could exist

**(15:22) I mean… Maybe, I’ll give you that, but it’s very unlikely that they do**

**(15:22) Wouldn’t we know about them by now?**

(15:33) See, that’s humans’ problem

(15:33) They always think they’re the smartest species out there

(15:33) The most “evolved” or whatever

(15:33) But I’ll bet you 100 dollars that there are more species out there that are capable of more than humans than can be counted

(15:34) And besides, maybe they have to stick to the depths of the ocean because they’re allergic to UV rays or something like that

(15:34) Or it’s like aliens and the people in power are hushing up their proven existence

(15:34) Or the only people who know about them are kind and help them hide themselves

(15:34) There are a lot of options

**(15:50) “They”, not “we”**

**(15:50) Is there something you want to tell me?**

(15:51) I don’t know what you’re talking about

(15:51) Winky face

**(15:55) Why wouldn’t you just make a winky face instead of typing it out?**

(15:57) To seem cuter, of course

**(16:00) Got it**

(16:04) Mission accomplished, I gather?

**(16:08) You would have seemed cute either way**

(16:08) Gah

(16:08) Anyway…

(16:08) On a totally unrelated note…

(16:09) That has nothing to do with me steering us away from topics that make my cheeks heat up…

**(16:09) Of course**

(16:09) I won’t be able to check my phone much for the rest of the day

**(16:12) Studying?**

(16:13) What else?

**(16:15) Nespresso**

(16:18) Ha, ha, very witty

(16:18) (I still laughed, though)

**(16:20) Mission accomplished**

(16:21) Stealing my words and putting them to good use

(16:21) I approve

**(16:24) Oh, sorry, I wasn’t aware that you’d trademarked the phrase**

(16:26) Well, now you know

(16:26) Copyright Korra

**(16:27) How much do I owe you for its use?**

(16:27) Stop making me smile

(16:27) My friends are pointing at me and laughing

(16:28) (It’s a study date because we’re all drowning in classes and coursework)

(16:28) Also, in all seriousness, you owe me 150 dollars

(16:28) I accept cash or transfer

**(16:33) How about when we meet, I cover the bill of whatever we end up having**

(16:34) No, it’s fine

(16:34) I was just kidding

(16:34) But also…

(16:34) That makes it sound suspiciously like a date

**(16:36) Wouldn’t it be?**

(16:39) I mean…

(16:39) I would like it to be

(16:39) No pressure, though

(16:39) I’d love being friends with you as well

(16:40) No dating required

(16:40) But I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t hope it’d be a date

**(16:43) Me too**

(16:45) Oh

(16:45) So we’re on the same page

**(16:48) Seems like it**

(16:50) Good

(16:50) Great, in fact

**(16:52) I agree**

(16:53) Gah

(16:53) Okay, I really have to put my phone away now

(16:53) My friends are starting to glare at me

(16:53) And complaining that I’m “not pulling my weight”

(16:53) It’s a study session

(16:54) We’re not working on a group project or anything

(16:54) Anyway…

(16:54) Talk to you later

**(16:57) Have a successful study session**

(23:03) My brain is tired

(23:03) It wants to sleep

**(23:04) Then why don’t you give it what it wants?**

(23:05) I am

(23:05) Because it also wants to talk to you

**(23:05) Oh**

(23:05) Are you blushing?

**(23:05) What makes you say that?**

(23:05) You’re blushing

(23:05) I’m sure of it

**(23:07) Is that your back-up career goal? Detecting people’s emotions? PI Korra, specialty: feelings**

(23:08) First off, I don’t have a back-up career goal

(23:08) I know I’m going to pull this vet thing off

(23:09) I’m determined like that

(23:09) And secondly, I do like the sound of that

(23:09) Though I’m not sure how I’d ever attract customers

**(23:10) Word of mouth**

(23:10) But there’d have to be a first mouth to start spreading the word

(23:10) And how am I gonna get them?

**(23:11) I could be that mouth**

(23:14) You have an emotional mystery you want solved?

**(23:14) Maybe**

(23:14) I’m intrigued

**(23:14) I think you mean sleepy**

(23:15) It’s like you know me to my very core

(23:15) Good night, Asami

**(23:18) Good night, Korra**

**(23:18) Sleep well**

 

March 28th

(10:21) There’s a party tonight

**(10:46) Okay?**

(10:53) It’s at a friend’s place

(10:53) And there won’t be a lot of people

(10:53) (Supposedly)

(10:53) I’m gonna go

(10:54) It’s time

**(11:01) Time for what?**

(11:05) To party

(11:05) Duh

**(11:06) Of course**

(11:14) I haven’t been to a party in a really long time

(11:14) I think it’ll be nice

(11:15) It’ll just be people I like

(11:15) Or at least mostly tolerate

**(11:18) Sounds nice**

(11:23) Do you like going to parties?

**(11:37) It depends, but not really?**

**(11:37) I think I’ve endured enough small-talk parties that couldn’t be more superficial if they tried for a lifetime**

**(11:37) Though hanging out with people you and your friends know and get along with sounds nice**

**(11:38) I think I’d like that**

(11:51) Gah

(11:51) I know you mean “you” as in “one” and not “you” as in me

(11:51) But the thought that you’d like hanging out with me and my friends still just made me ridiculously happy

**(12:15) I’m pretty sure that that’s how I’d feel about it**

**(12:15) You’d be there, which would be a big plus, and then your friends sound fun too. So I don’t see why I wouldn’t enjoy it**

(12:22) Asami…

**(12:22) Yes?**

(12:22) I like you so much

(12:22) Seriously

(12:23) If someone found a way to convert emotions into electricity, I could power a whole capital city with how warm you make me feel

**(12:34) Korra, that’s… the loveliest thing anyone’s ever said to me**

**(12:34) I like you very much, too**

**(12:34) And I get the feeling**

**(12:35) Oops, sorry, didn’t mean to send that**

(12:41) You get the feeling…??

(12:41) Now I want to know

(12:42) I have a curious nature

(12:42) And you have just unleashed it

(12:42) So I probably won’t forget about this and just keep asking

**(12:56) All right**

(12:59) ?

**(13:02) It feels like this is something that could last. Which is silly and naïve to say after not only a month of this. But sometimes you meet people and interact with them and you know it’s never going to transcend the boundaries of your interactions? Like a class at uni, for example. You might talk about other things, but what really ties you together is that you share a class and you both know it. And sometimes you think it’ll be different but it turns out it was one-sided, that it was only you who wanted it to turn into an actual friendship. Or it’s mutual but it simply doesn’t happen for one reason or another. But with this, with you, I feel like it could actually last, that we both want it to last? I don’t want to be presumptuous and I feel like I’m getting so far ahead of myself that I can see the dust cloud I left behind, but… It’s still how I feel. There.**

(13:03) Asamiii, that is SO long

(13:03) I was actually starting to think you weren’t gonna respond

(13:03) Okay, hang on, gonna read it now

(13:05) Gah

**(13:05) Gah good or gah bad?**

(13:05) Good

(13:06) Wonderful

(13:06) Amazing

(13:06) You put into words what I’ve been feeling

(13:06) But I know I tend to get ahead of myself sometimes

(13:06) So I wasn’t gonna say anything

(13:06) Also, I didn’t want to jinx it

**(13:09) I take full responsibility if I just did**

(13:11) Alright

(13:11) As long as you’re aware of the risks

(13:12) But yeah

(13:12) This feels good

(13:12) And right

(13:12) And maybe it won’t anymore at some point

(13.12) But maybe it will

(13:12) I know which outcome I’m hoping for

**(13:16) I love it when you get cheesy**

(13:31) Thank you

(13:31) I’m quite fond of it too

(13:31) I’m being totally honest, though

**(13:47) I know**

**(13:47) I am too**

(13:58) Cities, Asami

(13:58) I could power cities

**(14:04) Together, we could power a whole small country**

(14:23) Gah

(14:23) That you feel the same way I do will never get old

**(15:59) I agree**

**(15:59) Sorry for the late reply**

(16:03) Don’t worry about it

(16:03) Please never apologise for that

**(16:12) Noted**

(16:21) I’ve actually got to go grocery shopping with my friends soon

(16:21) Everyone’s supposed to bring their own snacks that they paid for with their own money

(16:22) Because, and I quote, “I won’t make the same mistake as last time”

(16:22) And then we’re going to help set everything up and all that

(16:22) So I’ll basically be gone for the rest of the day

**(16:30) …Do I wanted to know what happened last time?**

(16:33) You do not

**(16:44) All right**

**(16:44) I hope you have a great time at the party**

**(16:45) Have fun, Korra**

(16:46) Will do!

(16:46) You too

(16:47) With whatever it is you’re gonna do

**(16:52) Nothing exciting**

**(16:52) I’m just going to work on a project because I need to hand in a progress report tomorrow**

(16:55) Good luck with that

(16:55) You can do it

**(16:56) I definitely can**

**(16:56) I’m good at this**

(16:56) Confidence

(16:56) Good

**(16:57) It’s more knowledge**

**(16:57) I know I’m good at this**

**(16:57) That’s simply a fact**

(16:58) Oh

(16:58) Is it weird that I find that kind of hot?

**(16:59) What?**

(16:59) Nothing

**(17:00) Korra, this isn’t a verbal conversation where you can pretend I heard you wrong or play off what you said**

**(17:00) I only have to scroll up and it’s looking right at me**

(17:01) You noticed that during our call?

**(17:01) If you’re going to change what you said, you should at least make it sounds slightly similar to what you said before**

(17:01) I know, I just couldn’t think of anything that fast

(17:01) Really got to go now, though

(17:02) My friends are starting to imitate honking noises to get me to come join them

**(17:03) I’m sure that sounds… interesting**

(17:04) Trust me, you don’t want to hear it

(17:04) Though you might have to if you meet them someday

**(17:05) In a weird way, I’m actually looking forward to that**

(17:05) And with one last “gah,” I leave you today

(17:05) Gah

(17:05) Take care, Asami

**(17:06) You too**

(02:24) Asami…

(02:24) (Yes, I know it’s a miracle that I managed to stay awake this long, let’s move on)

(02:25) I don’t even know how to broach this

(02:25) I’m just gonna go for the straightforward approach

(02:25) Did you ever date a guy named Mako?

(02:25) If you haven’t, sorry about the weird question, please ignore it

(02:25) But at the party tonight one of my friends (the aforementioned Mako) accidentally saw your picture on my phone

(02:26) And, you know, back when I told them about you, he said he’d dated an Asami

(02:26) But no one thought it’d be YOU Asami

(02:26) Least of all me

(02:26) But it seems like you might be?

(02:26) I just…

(02:26) We were so close this entire time

(02:27) And of all the ways we could have met, it happened like this

(02:27) How weird is that

(02:27) I’m really excited that we’re that close, though??

(02:27) We even know the same person

(02:27) And I might as well say it, dated the same person

(02:27) Mako, I mean

(02:27) I dated him too

(02:28) After you, I think

(02:28) Which, granted, you could see as weird

(02:28) Or also not

(02:28) Which is what I’m hoping for

(02:28) Or maybe weird in a funny way, I’d settle for that

(02:33) I guess you’re already asleep

(02:33) I don’t know if I’ll be able to

(02:33) I keep wiggling because I’m so excited

(02:33) Okay, who am I kidding

(02:33) I’ll probably fall asleep in the middle of typing a message

(02:33) Anyway…

(02:33) Gonna stop spamming you with messages now

(02:34) I really have no idea what you’re gonna say tomorrow

(02:34) Or today, I guess

(02:34) Though it’s not really the next day till I’ve slept

(02:34) So the trick to a day never going by is just never falling asleep

(02:34) I can’t wait to find out what you’re gonna say

(02:34) I always feel like that with you

(02:34) I love talking to you

(02:34) And we’re actually so physically close, can you believe

(02:35) Maybe we’ve really passed each other without knowing the roles we’d come to play in each other’s lives someday

(02:35) I’m becoming dramatic

(02:35) Time to sleep, I guess

(02:35) Hope you’re having nice dreams

(02:35) Also: gah

(02:35) This is so hard to believe

(02:35) But that doesn’t make it any less true

(02:35) Again, if you never dated a guy called Mako, please ignore all of the last 956 messages I sent you

(02:36) Okay, this is my real bye now

(02:36) Talk to you soon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!! it would be very lovely of you to leave a comment and/or kudos (♥@all of you)
> 
> I'm too tired to proof-read this so I'm sorry if it contains any mistakes or if parts don't make sense. and I know that at 2am it's technically the next day but it's still part of the narrative arc of that day so I'm leaving it like that haha
> 
> this took way longer than I wanted because there's been so much to do and I've been working past 11pm most days so I really just didn't have time. hope you're all well!!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korra: regular  
> Asami: **bold**

March 29th

**(06:56) Oh my god**

**(06:56) Oh my god?**

**(06:56) Oh my god**

**(06:56) I can’t believe this**

**(06:57) This just grabbed the laws of probability and threw them over its shoulder like they weigh nothing**

**(06:57) How can this even be possible?**

**(06:58) The chances of this happening are probably below 1%**

**(06:58) There are incredible odds against this**

**(06:58) I might have to start giving fate more than the benefit of the doubt**

**(06:58) If you didn’t get it from all this: Yes, I did use to date him**

**(06:59) You were probably the reason he broke up with me?**

**(06:59) Oh my god**

**(06:59) I really can’t believe it**

**(06:59) This is so unlikely it’s ridiculous and I don’t know what to do with myself now**

**(07:31) Please wake up soon**

**(07:31) I guess that’s how you felt yesterday**

**(07:31) I can’t believe it**

**(07:32) I can’t**

(10:05) I knowww

(10:05) Howww

(10:05) Howww can this beeeee

(10:05) Are you mad at me because of the whole Mako thing?

**(10:08) There you are!!**

**(10:08) No, why would I be mad at you?**

**(10:09) I was a bit angry at him back then because first he made me think he really liked me and wanted things to work out, and then he suddenly said, “Sorry, I like someone else.”**

**(10:10) At least he didn’t do the whole two-timing thing, but it still made me feel… I don’t know. Tricked? Silly? Not good enough? Which isn’t something anyone enjoys feeling, I’d say**

**(10:11) I put that behind me ages ago, though**

(10:11) Phew

(10:11) Okay

(10:12) I was a bit worried, to be honest

(10:12) But to think, it would have been so easy for us to meet back then?

(10:12) Or even since then?

(10:12) And yet we never did

(10:12) Maybe we weren’t ready for it yet

**(10:14) Or maybe sometimes things just happen and they don’t have any deeper meaning behind them**

(10:15) Or that

(10:15) Though I find that a rather boo-worthy thought

(10:16) And boring

(10:16) Wait, I’m gonna quote your own words back at you

**(10:17) Lovely**

(10:19) “I might have to start giving fate more than the benefit of the doubt”

(10:19) There

(10:20) Betrayed by your own words

(10:20) You do realise, though

(10:20) We’re really close

(10:20) So close that, even if we just had half an hour, it would totally be possible to meet any given day

**(10:23) That’s true, I suppose**

**(10:23) And I guess I could hand you Lady Loafingsbury in person, when the time comes**

**(10:23) But I don’t know, Korra**

**(10:24) I know we just talked about it, but I thought we’d have a bit more time before we reached that step**

(10:25) We did

(10:26) We do

(10:26) But we also might just run into each other at some point

(10:26) I know we haven’t all this time but I wasn’t looking

(10:26) And now I don’t think I’ll be able to stop

(10:26) It’ll be like Where’s Waldo except even harder because he might not be anywhere

(10:26) He as in you, who are, in this scenario, Waldo

**(10:39) Isn’t it Where’s Wally?**

(10:47) What?

(10:47) No

(10:50) Okay, I just googled it and apparently that’s what he’s originally called in the UK

(10:50) And for some reason they changed it in North America

(10:51) Don’t ask me why

(10:51) How come you know him as Wally, though?

**(11:02) I only had one of those books when I was small and it said Wally on it?**

**(11:02) Maybe my parents bought it for me while travelling**

(11:04) While I must admit that was a great attempt at sidetracking me

(11:04) I really need to know where you stand on this

(11:04) Because I can’t stop thinking about it

(11:04) My heart hasn’t slowed down since last night

(11:05) (Yes, I’m aware that that seems dramatic and that the heart slows during sleep, blah, blah, but that’s just the way it feels)

**(11:18) Did you know that you’re cute?**

(11:25) You might have mentioned it once or twice

(11:25) And it’s not that I don’t appreciate the compliment

(11:26) (I do)

(11:26) But that still isn’t an answer

(11:26) What are you thinking?

**(11:29) Honestly?**

(11:29) Honestly

**(11:31) I’m not sure**

**(11:31) I want to meet you, there’s no doubt about that, but it sounded like you were suggesting meeting today or tomorrow or something like that**

**(11:32) And that… It’s a little scary**

(11:33) I know

(11:33) I guess the question is whether how much you want to meet me outweighs how scary you find it

(11:33) I know it does for me

(11:33) I want to see you

(11:34) But I only want it if you want it too

**(11:46) Okay.**

**(11:46) Let’s do it**

(11:47) Are you sure?

**(11:50) Yes**

**(11:50) I think that with the way things are now, I wouldn’t be able to get us meeting out of my head until we actually do it**

(11:54) Same

**(11:57) So we should do it. Then we’ll know for better or for worse**

(12:01) Now who’s being dramatic

**(12:04) That’d be me**

(12:10) Very self-aware of you

**(12:13) Thank you**

(12:15) I know that they’re empty words, but

(12:15) It’s gonna be fine

(12:15) I’m convinced of it

(12:33) So…

(12:33) When do you want to do this?

**(12:46) When would be good for you?**

(12:50) I’m pretty free today

(12:50) Not so much tomorrow, but I could make it work somehow

(12:51) Just tell me a time and a place and I’ll be there

(12:51) Or maybe suggest another time and place depending on when and where you say

(12:51) So once you’ve made a suggestion, I’m gonna respond with whether it works for me or not

(12:51) So basically there was no point to typing that whole “just tell me a time and a place” thing except to be cheesy, I guess

(12:51) Which I’d say I’ve succeeded at

**(13:02) All of the above shows me you’re as nervous as I am and, oddly enough, that actually calms me down a little**

**(13:03) Would 17 o’clock today work for you? Do you know that one café on the main square with the name that’s so cursive that no one can decipher it and the employees just shrug when you ask them about it?**

(13:08) Incognito????

(13:08) (That’s what my friend and I call it because it sounds cooler than “whatchamacallit” and the like)

(13:08) I go there at least once a week

**(13:11) You do? Me too**

(13:14) How have we not met before…

(13:14) Seriously

**(13:17) It is perplexing**

**(13:17) Though soon that’ll change**

(13:20) Yeah

(13:20) I kind of can’t believe it

(13:20) But in the best way

**(13:25) Me neither, and likewise**

(13:29) Gah

(13:29) I don’t think I’ll be able to focus on anything till then

**(13:37) It does present a challenge, but one I must rise to**

(13.38) Okay, I can tell you’re feeling uncomfortable because you’re reverting to your super formal way of speaking

(13:38) Actually, scratch that, you’ve just taken it to new heights

**(13:41) I meant that I need to get something done**

(13:44) Is it Lady Loafingsbury…?

**(13:46) Oh, no, it’s not, were you expecting her today?**

**(13:46) Damn it, it, the inanimate loaf of bread**

**(13:47) I can’t finish it by the time we meet**

(13:49) Don’t talk about her like that

**(13:49) Ha, ha**

(13:53) I wasn’t expecting her today

(13:53) Don’t worry about it

(13:53) We’re meeting in a bit over three hours…

(13:53) How will we spot each other?

(13:53) Should we each stick a rose in our hair or something?

**(13:55) Uh, we know what we look like**

(13:55) Oh, right

(13:55) I feel silly

**(13:55) You are. In a cute way**

(13:55) Thank you

(13:55) Please tell my friends that if you ever meet them

**(13.56) All right**

**(13:56) I’m wearing a dark green sweater and black jeans, if that helps**

(13:56) You’re not going to change before our date?

**(13:56) What are you wearing, a tuxedo?**

(13:56) I didn’t think it was so obvious

(13:56) But yes

(13:56) It’s one of those that you can rip off to reveal the bunched-up ball gown underneath

**(13:56) The one sure-fire way into anyone’s heart**

(13:57) Right?

(13:57) It’s the versatility

(13:57) You can’t help but be dazzled by it

**(13:57) That’s certainly one way to put it**

**(13:57) Once again, you’re distracting**

**(13:57) I really need to finish this progress report today**

(13:57) Is it that I’m distracting or is it just that talking to me is so much more interesting than anything else you have to do?

**(13:58) Both**

(13:58) Gah

**(13:58) Why are you gah-ing? You practically set me up for that**

(13:58) I know

(13:58) I just can’t help it

**(13:58) I can’t complain. I prefer it over your “boo”s**

(13:58) Oh

(13:58) I’d kind of forgotten about those despite using “boo-worthy” earlier

**(13:59) Oh no**

(13:59) Thanks for reminding me of my quest to make that a thing

**(13:59) Great**

**(13:59) I’ve really got to stop messaging now**

(13:59) Alright

(13:59) I just want you to know that inwardly, that “alright” was a “nooooo”

(13:59) Also, I might spam you with messages because I never know what to do with myself while waiting

(13:59) Patience isn’t exactly a virtue I always possess

**(14:00) You could work on assignments/study?**

(14:00) 3 hours!!

(14:00) And none of my deadlines are imminent enough to motivate me to do anything productive

(14:12) Unlike you who are apparently being productive right now

(14:23) I don’t know what to do

(14:23) One might say I’m bored

(14:35) B

(14:35) O

(14:35) R

(14:36) E

(14:36) D

(14:36) I’m glad you’re not checking your phone at the moment so I can’t annoy you into not meeting me

(14:41) Remember when I told you that I’m good at counting things?

(14:42) Turns out that doesn’t apply to hair

(14:42) It’ll forever remain a mystery how many hairs I have on my head

(14:42) Now, before you say anything

(14:42) (Which you won’t because you’re not checking your phone at the moment)

(14:42) I had a plan for counting the ones at the back of my head

(14:42) Involving a mirror

(14:42) I’ll admit it wasn’t entirely fool-proof

(15:05) Update:

(15:05) My last message to you made me google fools

(15:05) (Those medieval European guys with the weird hats)

(15:05) Because I never really got them?

(15:05) And then I got caught up in the Wikipedia vortex

(15:05) I now know several useless facts about medieval Europe that I’ll undoubtedly have forgotten within the hour

(15:05) Less than two hours now!!

(15:10) Two hours and 55 minutes

(15:10) Well, 50 now

(15:10) And no, that didn’t take me that long to calculate

(15:10) Of course not

(15:22) Were you ever part of a spelling bee, Asami?

(15:22) Asami

(15:22) A

(15:22) S

(15:22) A

(15:22) M

(15:22) I

(15:37) Please don’t take back wanting to meet me

(15:37) I’m just bad at waiting for things I’m excited about

(15:38) I was the kid who searched every inch for any presents I might receive

(15:38) Impatience

(15:38) I

(15:38) M

(15:38) P

(15:38) A

(15:38) T

(15:38) I

(15:38) E

(15:38) N

(15:38) C

(15:38) E

**(15:40) Oh my god**

(15:44) You came back!!

(15:44) The one second I’m not glued to my phone because I’m doing a handstand

**(15:45) Not for long, I just wanted to check in on you, see how you’re dealing with waiting**

**(15:45) You’re obviously handling it amazingly well**

**(15:46) And really?**

(15:46) Yeah, I’m really good at handstands

(15:46) I can show you later

**(15:48) I don’t think the café staff would appreciate that**

(15:48) True

(15:48) One time they banned me for a while because I did a handstand to impress my date because I was nervous

**(15:48) As one does**

(15:48) But I’d forgotten that I hadn’t tucked my shirt into my pants

(15:48) And I wasn’t wearing a bra

**(15:51) Wow**

(15:51) They weren’t my biggest fans for a while after that, I must say

(15:52) But eventually I won them back over with my tenacious charm

(15:52) Or charming tenacity

(15:52) What’s the difference, really

**(15:56) If I don’t reply for a while because I’m finishing up this report, will you start spelling things again?**

(15:57) Of course not

**(15:57) Are you sure?**

(15:57) Alright, fine

(15:57) No promises

**(15:58) You are so cute**

(15:58) Gah????

(15:58) ???????????

(15:58) That just came out of nowhere

(15:58) Why?

(15:59) I mean, I’m not complaining

(16:03) And you left with that

(16:03) 57 minutes left

(16:03) I can’t believe I’ll have met you face-to-face in less than an hour

(16:04) And I can’t believe we haven’t even been talking for a whole month

(16:04) It feels so much longer than that

(16:04) But it’ll be a month soon

(16:15) Oh, I know, I’ll come up with some things to bring up in case we lapse into awkward silence

(16:15) Because we don’t know each other well enough yet so that they won’t be awkward

(16:22) Okay, so far I just have some animals listed I could ask you your opinion on

(16:22) (Okay, fine, I’ve only got wolves and seals so far)

(16:22) Maybe I should start getting ready?

(16:34) Asami, we’re meeting really, really soon

**(16:43) I know**

**(16:43) I’m on my way out the door**

**(16:59) Okay, I’m there**

**(16:59) I snagged us a table in the far left corner by the window front, underneath that painting that’s either some kind of monster or maybe a bunny(?)**

(17:00) I’m almost there

(17:00) Gah

(17:01) Also, we’ve named the creature in that painting Bambi

(17:01) Because calling it that makes us laugh, basically

**(17:02) Bambi, really?**

**(17:02) I couldn’t think of anything that fits it less**

(17:02) Yeah, that’s the point

(17:02) I see you!!

(17:02) Okay, my legs walked past Incognito without my say-so so I’m gonna have to wait till they’ve walked back around the block

**(17:03) I’m nervous too**

**(17:03) I don’t know what to say**

(17:03) “Hello” is always a good start

**(17:03) Other than that**

(17:03) “Korra, you look great” is always nice to hear

**(17:03) Korra, you look great**

(17:04) Gah!!

(17:04) Not now

**(17:04) Would it be any better in person?**

(17:04) Fair point

(17:04) Okay, I’m almost back at the café

(17:04) This time I’m actually gonna open the door and come in

**(17:04) Please do**

(17:04) You know what?

(17:04) When we started talking, you would have put a period at the end of that

(17:04) I’m really proud of how much you’ve reduced your usage of proper punctuation

**(17:05) I did it for you**

(17:05) Gah

(17:05) Bad timing

(17:05) That just made me walk past the café again

(17:05) I’ll try to just turn around this time

**(17:05) Should I come out and meet you instead?**

(17:05) No!!

(17:05) Do not, under any circumstances, give up our table

(17:05) People are like vultures at Incognito

(17:05) You could have all of your possessions strewn over the table

(17:06) But if you’re not actually, physically sitting there, people will still take it away from you

(17:06) Nothing is sacred there, especially not dibs

**(17:06) Very dramatic and fascinating**

**(17:06) But if it would make you feel better to meet outside, I’d give up any table in here**

(17:06) Asamiii, stop it

(17:06) Okay, I’m coming in

(17:06) Do you see me?

**(17:07) It would be easier if you looked up from your phone and made eye contact, but yes, I do**

(17:07) Okay, I’m putting my phone away

**(17:07) Me too**

(21:45) So

(21:45) That was…

**(21:45) Yeah**

**(21:45) I had a great time, thank you, Korra**

(21:46) Me too

(21:46) Glad you were up for that walk after

(21:46) Though I’m sorry you got cold when we sat on the bench for so long

**(21:46) Thanks again for your jacket. Are you sure you don’t need it?**

(21:46) Definitely

(21:46) I’m used to way colder temperatures

(21:47) I mostly just took that jacket with me to complete my outfit

(21:47) Not because I needed it

**(21:47) It did work very well as an ensemble**

(21:47) Do you want to do this again sometimes soon?

(21:47) I was gonna wait to ask but now I’ve decided I don’t care how it seems

(21:47) I already know I want to see you again

(21:47) What do you think?

**(21:51) Okay, I’m just going to be honest**

(21:51) Uh-oh

**(21:51) I didn’t even want to part ways with you tonight**

(21:51) Oh

(21:51) That’s…

(21:51) Me neither

**(21:51) I know that it’s probably too fast and too soon since we only just met**

**(21:51) And yet we also didn’t just meet**

(21:51) Yeah, I get what you mean

(21:51) This was probably my best date ever

(21:52) It felt easy, and right, and comfortable

(21:52) It’s like we picked up where our messages left off

**(21:52) It was definitely my best date**

**(21:52) I don’t know if I should say this**

(21:52) Say it

**(21:52) When we were saying goodbye, I really wanted to kiss you**

(21:52) Me too

**(21:53) Really? So if I’d leaned in to kiss you…?**

(21:53) I would have kissed you back

**(21:53) Gah**

(21:53) You said gah!!

(21:53 I love it

**(21:53) It seemed appropriate**

(21:53) It always is

**(21:53) I contest that statement**

(21:53) Objection!

**(21:54) I think my message was already the objection**

(21:54) Whatever, I’ve always wanted to use that

(21:54) I like it

(21:54) Makes you feel kind of important and pretentious

**(21:57) You don’t think it’s too soon?**

(21:57) What?

**(21:57) The kissing thing**

(21:57) Oh

(21:58) I don’t know

(21:58) I don’t think there’s a rule about that

(21:58) If it feels right and you both want to do it, why not?

**(22:00) I want to do it**

**(22:00) I can’t stop thinking about it**

(22:01) Gah

(22:01) You mean today?

**(22:01) Yes**

**(22:01) No**

**(22:01) Maybe?**

**(22:01) Whenever you want**

(22:01) I could come get my jacket

(22:01) Why do it tomorrow when I could do it today

**(22:01) Do you mean kissing or picking up your jacket?**

(22:02) Both

(22:02) I can see Lady Breadington in person

(22:02) And tease you about your messy desk

(22:02) And leave whenever you want me to

**(22:05) Okay**

(22:05) Okay

**(22:05) Come to think of it, you walked me home on your way to your own place. I could have simply given you your jacket back then**

(22:05) Then we probably wouldn’t be doing this

**(22:05) Fair enough**

(22:08) Okay, I’m on the way

(22:08) Will be there soon

**(22:08) How do we do this?**

(22:09) What do you mean?

**(22:09) The kissing thing**

(22:09) Oh, is this gonna be your first kiss?

(22:09) Don’t worry, you get the hang of it pretty fast

**(22:09) No, that’s not what I meant**

**(22:09) I meant, do we do it right away after you enter my apartment? Do we wait?**

(22:09) “The Kissing Itinerary” by Asami

**(22:10) Ha, ha**

(22:10) I think it’ll just happen organically, Asami

(22:10) Those are the best kisses anyway

(22:10) If we’re just standing there stiffly waiting for our cue to kiss, we might as well be actresses faking it

**(22:12) You’re right**

**(22:12) I’m overthinking this**

(22:12) Don’t worry

(22:12) It’ll be fine

(22:12) And if it’s weird at first, we’ll figure it out

(22:12) It doesn’t have to be The One Perfect Movie Kiss, The End

(22:13) First we’ll get a feel for each other and then we’ll adapt

**(22:13) Oh god**

**(22:13) This is too embarrassing**

(22:13) There’s really nothing embarrassing about it

**(22:14) You’re right. Again**

(22:14) Always nice to hear that

**(22:14) Are you close?**

(22:14) Yeah

(22:14) I might be powerwalking

**(22:14) That image is so cute**

(22:14) The reality of it is cute too

(22:14) At least that’s how I choose to see it

**(22:15) Good choice**

(22:15) Thanks, I think so too

**(22:15) It’s number 33, by the way**

(22:15) Alright, good to know

(22:15) I’m almost there

**(22:15) That’s good because I feel like I’ve been holding my breath since we said you’d come over tonight**

(22:15) So you’re saying I have to kiss the breath back into your lungs

(22:16) That’s quite a challenge since usually things go the other way around with kissing

**(22:16) That’s not at all what I said**

**(22:16) I’m simply starting to understand why you spelled words at me while waiting**

(22:16) Aha!

**(22:16) ?**

(22:16) Nothing, I just wanted to type that

(22:16) It made me laugh

**(22:17) Well, then it’s worth it**

(22:17) I just aww-ed out loud, so

(22:17) There’s that

(22:17) Okay, I’m here

(22:17) See you really soon

**(00:21) Well**

(00:21) Well

**(00:21) Are you sure you’re okay walking back this late?**

(00:22) Definitely

**(00:22) Okay**

**(00:22) Message me when you get home**

(00:22) Will do

(00:24) So…

(00:24) I guess I have to be the one to say it?

**(00:25) What?**

(00:25) Those were some kisses

**(00:25) Oh**

**(00:25) That**

**(00:25) Yes**

(00:25) Making out with you has quickly made its way up my list of favourite pastimes

**(00:25) Likewise**

**(00:25) This isn’t going to be good for our productivity, is it?**

(00:25) Probably not

(00:25) Can’t say I mind, though

**(00:26) Are we dating now?**

(00:26) I mean

(00:26) I want to date you

**(00:26) I want to date you too**

(00:26) Then that’s settled

**(00:26) I guess it is**

(00:26) Are we meeting tomorrow?

(00:26) (Today)

**(00:26) I thought you said it was bad for you today?**

(00:26) (Tomorrow)

(00:26) It is

(00:26) But I can make it work

(00:26) Don’t underestimate my determination

**(00:27) Wouldn’t dream of it**

(00:27) I can’t believe I’m up past midnight for the second day in a row

(00:27) You’re going to be bad for my sleeping pattern, aren’t you?

**(00:27) I don’t know what you’re talking about**

(00:27) Sure

(00:28) So, tomorrow?

(00:28) Or does that not work for you?

**(00:28) Today sounds amazing**

**(00:28) I’d love to see you again**

(00:28) Gah

(00:28) Hang on, my roommate’s calling me

(00:33) Wanted to make sure I was okay

(00:33) And then grilled me about our date till I hung up on him

**(00:34) He’s going to continue once you get home, right?**

(00:34) Oh, definitely

(00:34) I’m counting on my power to fall asleep quickly to come in handy

(00:34) I’ll just doze off in the middle of one of his questions

(00:34) I wish I could see through my closed eyes just so I can see his expression when he realises

(00:34) Though I’ll probably just dream of you

**(00:35) Korra, you can’t just say that**

(00:35) I just did

**(00:35) We’re using “just” a lot**

(00:35) It’s a useful word

(00:35) Versatile

**(00:35) Like the tuxedo/ball gown combo you decidedly weren’t wearing?**

(00:35) I will

(00:35) But I can’t show all my cards on the first date now, can I?

**(00:36) That would be a tragedy**

(00:36) I’m home now

(00:36) Wish me luck for falling asleep in the middle of questioning

**(00:36) I don’t need to. I know you’ll succeed**

(00:36) Gah

**(00:36) Well, then**

**(00:36) See you today**

(00:36) (Tomorrow)

**(00:36) If you prefer**

(00:36) I do

**(00:37) Go in, Korra**

(00:37) Boo

(00:37) (There, you see? It has its uses)

(00:37) I really like you, Asami

**(00:37) I really like you too, Korra**

(00:37) Okay, I’m going in

**(00:37) You can do it**

(00:37) I’m telepathically sending you heart balloons and stuff

**(00:37) Right back at you**

**(00:38) Sleep well**

(00:38) I really will, after all the wonderful things that just happened

(00:38) You make me really happy, Asami

**(00:38) You make me really happy too, Korra**

**(00:38) And I can tell you’re stalling**

(00:38) Damn it

(00:38) How do you already know me so well

**(00:38) It’s our fated connection, of course**

(00:38) Gah

(00:39) I know you’re kidding, but gah all the same

(00:39) Bye

**(00:39) Take care, Korra**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!! telepathic heart balloons at anyone who comments (you're the loveliest, honestly)/leaves a kudos
> 
> I can't believe this whole chapter is just one day and yet it's the longest of all the chapters haha
> 
> I hope no one's disappointed but I just really wanted to tell a story only through what they say (dialogue is my favourite haha). there's going to be a small epilogue that I'll post in the next couple of days (once I've had time to finish it), but otherwise, that's it!! wow, this was a lot of fun, especially because of all of you! thank you so much for your support ♥ take care, angels, I can never adequately express how much I appreciate you xx


	15. EPILOGUE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last time!!
> 
> Korra: regular  
> Asami: **bold**

April 12th

**(12:13) Text me your order?**

**(12:13) I’m glad you snagged our favourite spot but it’s too loud in here to hear you and I can’t read lips**

(12:14) You were watching my lips?

**(12:14) Oh my god.**

**(12:14) Stop giving me that look**

**(12:14) Are you 12? Why are you smug about this, we’re literally girlfriends**

**(12:15) If you could stop laughing for a second and text me your order, it would be much appreciated**

(12:15) Guess

**(12:15) We’re doing that again?**

(12:15) Yup

**(12:15) All right, fine, but no complaints**

(12:15) Why are you laughing??

(12:15) Just because I zipped my lips?

(12:16) I can hold myself back

**(12:16) I know, but you also derive great joy from dramatically overreacting to irrelevant things, only to start laughing in the middle of it**

(12:16) True

(12:16) You know me well

**(12:17) I’d like to think I do**

(12:17) Your turn

**(12:17) I could see you mouth “gah”**

(12:17) I don’t know what you’re talking about

(12:17) And it’s rude to type while talking to someone

**(12:17) Fine**

**(12:17) Be right with you**

(12:17) Counting on it

 

April 25th

(22:23) My friends love you

**(22:28) They do?**

(22:34) They do

(22:34) They’ve already voted on keeping you in the group even if we break up

**(22:39) That’s… sweet?**

**(22:39) I like them too**

(22:41) After that, I told them that if they jinxed this for us, I’m gonna put a curse on them

**(22:45) Of course**

**(22:46) Do you have much experience casting curses?**

(22:46) Never done it before

(22:46) It wouldn’t be anything major

(22:47) Just small inconveniences

**(22:50) I’m not sure you can make them that specific**

(22:52) Wait

(22:52) You believe in curses???????

(22:52) Seriously, Asami, you’re always good for a surprise

**(22:56) I mean… Probably not**

**(22:56) But then sometimes it feels like maybe there’s some truth to them, the tiniest bit**

**(22:56) If nothing else, then there’s at least the negative energy that thinking hate-filled thoughts about someone generates and directs towards them**

(22:57) If that were true, all sorts of terrible people would be tripping over their own two feet constantly

**(23:00) Yes, but see, you put that bad energy out there, but there’s nothing to guarantee it reaches its target, nothing to guide it**

**(23:00) So it swirls around and latches onto anyone who presents an opportunity for it**

**(23:01) That’s one theory**

**(23:01) So if you’ve ever felt like everything randomly went wrong, out of nowhere? It might have been the bad energy people sent out (directing it towards certain people in their thoughts) that simply ended up attaching itself to you instead**

(23:03) Wow, that’s a pretty elaborate theory

(23:03) You’ve thought about this before

**(23:08) Sometimes things are simply too bad for some people for no discernible reason whatsoever**

**(23:08) It makes you consider possible catalysts, yes**

(23:09) Wasn’t it you who said that sometimes things just happen and there’s no bigger reason behind it?

**(23:11) I still stand by that, but if it’s a continuous thing, one bad thing after another… I don’t know**

**(23:11) Logically, there should be ups and down, like waves**

**(23:11) One would think**

(23:13) I’m guessing you don’t believe in luck?

**(23:15) I don’t necessarily not believe in it**

(23:15) But?

**(23:15) But if such a thing as fortune does exist, there has to be a pattern to it, something that decides who gets how much of it**

**(23:15) Not as in some being making a conscious decision to bestow luck upon people or not, but at least on a chemical level or the like**

(23:16) You mean like a luck gene?

**(23:16) For example**

(23:16) Okay, that sounds ridiculous even to me

**(23:16) It does, and I don’t believe in it. Yet if we say that luck exists, we must also find a way to explain it that’s more believable than chance**

(23:17) I’m too tired for this

(23:17) My closing argument are little luck fairies flying around spreading luck like glitter dust

(23:17) Only sometimes you’re standing somewhere really windy so all your luck gets swept away and carried to someone else who then has a surplus of it and wins the lottery or something

(23:17) Ta-dah

**(23:18) I’m applauding**

(23:18) And I’m bowing

(23:18) Except I’m already lying in bed so I’m more contorting my body in a weird way

(23:18) But it’s a bow in spirit

**(23:18) You’re quite the storyteller**

(23:19) It runs in my family

(23:19) I’m falling asleep, Asami

**(23:20) Are you pouting about it?**

(23:20) …No

**(23:20) That’d be a yes**

(23:20) Fine

(23:20) I’m not ready to sleep yet

(23:20) Tonight was really great and I feel good and I don’t want to lose that feeling

**(23:21) Yes, I had a wonderful time tonight**

**(23:21) And I guess we’ll just have to do our best to make sure you feel good tomorrow too**

(23:21) Gah

**(23:21) There it is**

(23:21) What do you mean?

**(23:21) Well, it’s been a while since you’ve typed out “gah”, since we mostly talk in person now**

**(23:22) In a weird way, I kind of missed it**

(23:22) No way, really?

(23:22) Hang on, let me check

**(23:22) Korra, if you go through our chat, you’re going to fall asleep even faster**

**(23:22) You know scrolling makes you sleepy**

**(23:32) There you go**

 

May 19th

(10:40) Sometimes I forget how all of this started

(10:40) Because you’re such a firm part of my life now that I feels like you’ve always been there

(10:41) And then I remember, and I have to double-check to make sure this wasn’t just a bizarrely detailed dream

(10:41) Do you know what I mean?

**(11:13) I know exactly what you mean**

**(11:13) It does seem surreal sometimes**

(11:31) Right?

(11:31) But it’s not

(11:31) It’s real

**(11:38) That it is, and I’m very grateful for that fact**

(11:43) Gah

**(11:46) You’ve started typing it more again since I told you I kind of missed it**

(11:49) Oh, really, you said that?

(11:49) Must have slipped my mind

(11:49) Those two things are totally unrelated

**(11:54) Korra**

(11:57) Alright

(11:57) It’s just, why should you miss something if you don’t have to

(11:57) That’s all

(11:57) And it’s not like I force it in

(11:58) Believe me, I feel all of my “gah”s

(11:58) Doesn’t hurt to type them out when I feel them

**(12:02) How am I dating the sweetest person in the entire world?**

(12:05) That’s my line

**(12:07) Korra…**

(12:09) You’re blushing now

(12:09) I know it

**(12:11) No comment**

(12:12) See, now you understand how useful that can be

**(12:16) I do**

(12:19) Every day there’s something that brings us closer together

(12:20) And now I know you snorted

**(12:23) You know me well**

(12:25) I’d like to think I do

(12:25) I love it when we quote each other

**(12:28) You don’t think it’s cheesy?**

(12:30) Of course it is

(12:30) But in the best, grinning-so-wide-your-cheeks-hurt kind of way

**(12:33) [Image]**

**(12:33) Yeah**

**(12:34) And this time it’s me who knows that you just kissed the screen**

(12:37) So?

(12:37) It’s a picture of you

**(12:39) Exactly**

**(12:39) A picture**

(12:41) Boo

**(12:44) Now the “boo”s I could do without. Any chance you’ve gotten tired of them?**

(12:46) Nope

(12:46) In fact, I love them more than ever

(12:46) Sometimes they just perfectly express my feelings

**(12:50) Fair enough**

(12:52) Oh, I’m grinning too, hang on

(12:53) [Image]

(12:53) There

(12:53) Okay, you’re not gonna kiss the screen

(12:53) (Boo)

(12:53) But you will probably get that soft look in your eyes that’s both impossible to take and also impossible to look away from

(12:54) I want to see you

(12:54) What do you think?

**(12:57) I want to see you too**

**(12:57) Should we grab lunch together?**

(12:57) Yes!!!!

(12:57) Let’s do that

(12:58) I could come by your place and then we can walk together and choose a restaurant at random?

**(12:58) Sounds like a plan**

**(12:58) See you soon**

(13:04) I’m on my way

 

June 30th

(14:56) And for every decision we make, there’s a parallel timeline where things unfold differently because of that

(14:56) So in total, there are probably millions of them

(14:56) I wonder how all those “other me”s are doing

(14:57) To think, some of them probably aren’t even alive anymore…

**(15:05) Korra…**

(15:09) Yes?

**(15:13) You know I love you, but that isn’t all that likely, in my opinion, so don’t worry about it. Or them… Your other selves… This is hurting my head**

**(15:14) And even if they did exist, does it really matter?**

**(15:14) They’re not going to show up demanding to trade places with you**

**(15:14) Your life now is your life, and sure, there are lots of other ways it could have gone, but the way it is now isn’t so bad, right?**

(15:15) What??

**(15:17) Which part?**

(15:18) I know that you love me?

(15:18) No?????

(15:19) You’ve never said that before?????????????

**(15:19) Wait**

**(15:20) Oh**

(15:20) Asami

(15:20) I can’t believe you said you love me for the first time in a text

**(15:21) I… don’t know what I’m doing?**

**(15:21) But I do know that I love you. Very much**

(15:21) Gah

(15:21) Come over here so I can say it back in person

(15:21) Also, you have to kiss the grin off my face

(15:22) It’s starting to hurt my cheeks

(15:22) (That’s apparently a thing with us and I’m not gonna complain)

**(15:23) I’m not sure I can help very much with that; I’m grinning myself**

(15:23) We’ll figure it out

(15:23) Just come

**(15:23) Okay, be right there, just have to take a little detour**

(21:12) I still can’t believe you brought me flowers

**(21:15) It seemed like the thing to do**

**(21:15) I stand by my decision**

(21:16) Wasn’t gonna contest it

(21:16) I just still can’t believe it

**(21:16) In a good way or a bad way?**

(21:17) Good way

(21:17) 100%

(21:17) You’re sweet

(21:17) And, since I’ve told you in person already and it’s safe to say here now, I love you a lot too

**(21:18) There are times when I think about how strange it is that we were never far from each other without knowing it**

**(21:18) Not physically, not even acquaintances-wise**

**(21:19) There could have been so many ways for us to meet, and out of all the ways, it happened because you got someone’s number wrong and texted me instead**

**(21:19) If this were the plot of a movie, I’d laugh and call it unrealistic, but sometimes life simply is that unbelievable, I guess**

**(21:20) If we get a cat or a dog and we tell them our story, they won’t believe us**

(21:20) It would be hard for them to since they probably won’t understand English

(21:20) We’d have to learn their languages first, Cat-ish and Dog-ish

(21:21) Then they can finally find out and laugh at us

(21:21) (I know you’re more of a cat person and I’m more of a dog person but we also both love all animals and we’re gonna bridge that great divide and make it work)

**(21:22) I don’t think they offer those language classes here**

**(21:22) (I’d expect nothing less)**

(21:22) Fine, then we’ll just have to go with learning telepathy

(21:22) How hard can it be?

**(21:22) If my lack of success at trying to learn it as a kid is anything to go by, it’ll be quite the challenge**

(21:23) Did you have a good teacher?

**(21:23) Myself**

**(21:23) Is there even such a thing as an official telepathy teacher?**

(21.23) I’m sure there are people who call themselves that

(21.23) The hard part is finding the real deal

**(21:24) Because that’s totally within the realms of possibility**

(21:24) Glad you agree

**(21:24) I really love you, Korra**

(21:24) I really love you too, Asami

(21:24) And all of our possible future pets

**(21:25) Yes, how could I forget about them**

(21:25) I don’t know

(21:25) But it’s bordering on scandalous

(21:25) I’m gonna be a vet so I’m practically destined to take care of dozens of animals personally

(21:25) At least that’s how I picture it

(21:25) And that’s kind of what you sign up for with me

**(21:26) I wouldn’t have it any other way**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to everyone who's commented on this, especially on multiple chapters, I hope you know by now how much that always meant to me, and I'm sending a lot of love out into the world, hoping it'll reach you!! to everyone who's left kudos, thank you so much! and to anyone I lost on the way or who just never felt the story click for them: thank you for giving it a chance!!
> 
> this got longer than it was meant to be but whatever haha I hope you liked this last chapter and that the whole thing feels rounded off to you now. I know I couldn't give everyone what they want but I told the story I wanted to tell the way I wanted to tell it, and I'm mostly happy with it, so I hope you at least got something out of it too!
> 
> I really can't say when or if I'll write something about these two again, and if I don't see you around anymore, I hope you know that I wish you all the best!! take care, angels xx


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